Straight lines are often the most desired direction. We blast paths through mountains to get to the other side more quickly. We create the most clear and logical career paths. We cut out the middle man. We create shortcuts to get to the desired result more quickly. We have turned into a race who values cheaper, faster, leaner. The problem with all of this is that oftentimes the moment you get lost in the mountains is the moment the trek becomes more memorable. The very second your “life-path” goes astray is that VERY second you start to learn who you really are and what you really want.
It seems as if everything we have created in our lives flies directly in the face of our TRUE human existence. When I was a performer, I was constantly thinking about the next step; the most bang for the buck, the BEST decision. The problem with that was that I never truly had control over every step and sometimes what I thought was a huge step back ended up being the greatest step forward.
Yes, it sounds incredibly simplistic but the greatest learning and most growth for me has come from those “vertical” or even “backward” steps. Those rungs on the ladder do lead upwards, but sometimes you have to acclimate to the change in air pressure first.
Josh and Grant 