Is There More Than One Path?

A post for Trust 30 … a 30-day writing challenge I’m participating in.
.

Today’s Prompt:

Alternative Paths

.

When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name; the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ambition is good. Blind ambition is not. It blocks out not only distraction, but the many opportunities that might take you off course but that may also lead you in a new direction. Consistent daily action is only a virtue when bundled with a willingness to remain open to the unknown.

In this exercise, look at your current quest and ask, “What alternative opportunities, interpretations and paths am I not seeing?” They’re always there, but you’ve got to choose to see them. (Author: Jonathan Fields)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two Pathsphoto © 2010 Matt Lehman | more info (via: Wylio)

.

My Response:

I’m a big believer in having some goals.

I’m a big believer in holding my goals lightly.

At first glance, those statements might look like they contradict each other … but for me, they don’t.

At one time I thought goals was a dirty word, but I’ve learned that if I don’t have any goals … I often get no where. I need enough goals to keep me moving in the direction I want to go … but not so many, that I forget to live in the moment.

If I hold my goals too tightly … I frustrate myself (and others) by my insistence that life revolve around my goals … all the time. Or I could block off other paths that could lead me where I want/need to go.

Each of us is unique, so we’ll have different areas of life where there might only be one acceptable path … but in many areas, there’s often more than one path to reach our goals.

Walk firmly forward … with your eyes open.

Example: To reach a goal of having a cleaner house, there’s at least four paths.

  1. Clean an hour a day.
  2. Dedicate five hours to it on the weekend.
  3. Swipe cleaning services with a friend.
  4. Earn enough money to pay someone to clean.

Same with reaching a goal for at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day:

  1. Just do it.
  2. Set up solid meeting times with a friend
  3. Join a running, walking, hiking, biking or dance club
  4. Sing and dance as you clean your house, therefore meeting both goals!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did I miss any options for cleaning or moving? If so, please share?

.

If you like what you’ve read … Subscribe here

Bookmark and Share
  • http://thecostoffollowing.wordpress.com Christine Ivy

    The reason why I really like this, is that it gives me freedom. So often, if I make a goal, I feel like there are only two outcomes: success or failure. It’s restricting. Even success feels tempered by the fear that it’ll be a one-off (how often it is!)

    Being ok with taking more than one route to the same destination, gives me more options. It’s like allowing myself to problem solve: “today I can’t do X in this way… alright, how else can I do it?”Peaceful!

    • http://www.JanetOberholtzer.com Janet Oberholtzer

      Hi Christine, 
      Yes, it does make life more peaceful to give yourself the permission to choose from a few paths.