Have you ever heard of „desire lines“?
They aren’t found on your face or anywhere else on your body.
They are the paths that cross wide lawns or snake behind a large building. They are the paths that lead us to where we want to go without following the prescribed concrete path.
They are created by a need — a desire — to get somewhere faster, which often means not following the path laid out for you.
Have you ever looked up from you life and thought, “What am I doing here?!” or the ever common “How did I get here?!”
In my experience as a coach, people end up coming to me when they realize that they don’t want to walk on the “sidewalk” anymore. They are looking longingly at those little jagged paths that are behind the benches, among the trees, venturing into wide open spaces.
It takes a lot of courage to step off the safe path — to NOT follow the prescription for happiness and success we’ve been fed by conventional media.
There are lots of books you can buy that give you the “how-to” do this — but the reality is — there is no one way — we each have to make our own. The REAL path is the one you discover on your own.
But what if — what if — we stop a moment and really look at where we want to go? Create our own idea of success and happiness by looking at our own passions and truths.
I love the exercise of describing my perfect day. You can write it out, record it on your phone, or share it with a friend. What elements pop out at you? What pieces resonate a deep truth for you, beyond happiness or ‘high point’ moments? Those are your bread crumbs, your clues of where to focus your intention.
It can be hard not to just follow along all the easy trails laid out for us. Look — they’re clean, safe, straight, direct (sort of), orderly — secure. If we follow these paths they will get us to some place for certain.
But what about the journey? New discoveries? Adventures?!
Ok — I’m not suggesting to rush off and discover a new route to the top of Mt. Everest, or a new way to make toast. But what if we stepped off the path every now and then?
What would we find?
A mud puddle? A dead end? A dark hole? It’s possible.
An insight? An epiphany? A brilliant solution? It’s possible.
That’s just it! IT’S ALL POSSIBLE.
But only if you step off the prescribed path every now and then. Get your heart rate up — heighten your senses.
In fact, why don’t we leave trails for others to follow?!
Go ahead, step off the path. I dare you.
You might be surprised that someone is standing right next to you — ready to join you.
Can you remember the last time you stepped off the ‘beaten path’, the prescribed way to reach success or to accomplish something? What happened? What did you learn along the way?
(And even if there were hardships, what did you gain in the end?)
I’d love to hear your story, and I bet others would too.