The Risk of Following Our Own Path

The risk of following our own path is that sometimes, people won't get it.

We leave our job with generous benefits to join a scrappy start-up, and people ask: "what about insurance?"

We share that we have chosen not to have kids, and people ask: "don't you think you'll regret it?"

We share that we're about to have another baby, bringing the grand total to 6 kids, and we watch people's eyes get wide.

We share that we've decided to leave our job to figure out what's next, and people ask: "aren't you nervous to not have anything else lined up?"

We share our desire to spend more time in a new place, and people ask: "but don't you love where you live right now?"

We share our plans to pack up the family and move into an RV, and people ask: "but won't you miss your house?"

This is only natural. We all have our own screens and filters - our own lens through which we view the world. It can be natural to assume that others think the way we do, or might be inclined to make the decisions we make.

We are all on our own path; what makes sense to us might not make sense to others. What makes sense for others might not make sense for us.

Rather than judging ourselves, or each other, we can simply get curious and consider: "what is true for me?" And, how can I get curious about what might be true for others?

What do you think? Any paths you've been on lately that have felt true for you, but potentially confusing to others?