The Third Path
It can be easy to think that we have two options.
Should I stay at my job, or should I leave?
Should I say yes to the opportunity to relocate abroad, or should I turn it down?
Should I accept the offer, or should I decline?
Should I stay in my current neighborhood, or should I move?
Often, however, there is a third option.
We can stay at our job, but update our resume and start to have some conversations about what else might be out there.
We can stay at our job and start a side hustle.
We can take the new opportunity - on contract for three months, to try it out.
We can do a pilot or a trial before we commit fully.
We can counter offer or negotiate.
We can rent an AirBnB in the other neighborhood that we're considering across town, to experience what it's like to live there for a week.
There are very rarely just two options. Our continuous opportunity is to look for the third path, the additional possibility, the expanded set of options. The third path often exists.
As someone who often leans toward an all-or-nothing approach, this is a continuous practice for me. Has anyone else been experimenting with finding the third path?
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