Dear Readers,

Well, it happened! About eight months into this project and I ran out of ideas for my weekly posting… which is why nothing went up last week! Now I’m down to the wire of my self-imposed deadline, again, wondering: what am I supposed to write about? Should I go into more personal topics? Should I try to dive into more technical postings and explain something about my work?

I’m not really sure. Up to this point, I’ve tried a few different things but the one I like the most are the opinion posts. The posts usually tie into music in some way or have a point that might help give some inspiration but they all serve to keep me accountable in this project. They give a little insight into the kind of person I am without spilling unnecessary details about my life onto the internet. Also, bonus points: they are the easiest to write because there isn’t much research involved.

Thinking about all of this, led me to thinking about having direction.

I feel like you have a few options in life: a) you can wander aimlessly never knowing where you want to be or caring where you end up, b) you can plot out every single point and plan exactly how you are going to get somewhere, or c) you can pick a direction and just go towards it. You probably know people that are on each of these paths. Or more likely, you’re thinking that it’s not such a simple choice and it’s situational.

You’re right. When it’s road trip time, I’m definitely more in the Option B category! But when it comes to general living, I think I gravitate towards Option C.

This option is right in the middle – you know you need to be somewhere or want to be somewhere, but you aren’t concerned with the specifics of how you get there. It affords flexibility, plan changes, and random acts of life that would just interrupt all your carefully laid plans anyway. It’s a way of enjoying the journey without being disappointed by every planned stop going awry along the way. But the path to your destination is winding and a little longer than it needed to be.

Also, this option is the best for me because I accept two truths: a) We don’t have control over everything; and b) Your fate and future isn’t predetermined. Which I guess is just another way of saying that you need to work hard for what you want and accept that failure is an option along the way.

Missing my schedule last week? That was a minor setback. A minor failure. But it’s okay, it’s not going to derail the direction I’m heading and I’m back at it today – getting something out there and holding myself accountable. Maybe my path is a little longer now but I’m still pointed in the right direction.

If you can take anything from this post, maybe it’s this: don’t let little set backs get in your way. The most successful people have lots of failures along the way, what makes them successful is that they continue to push forward.

Sincerely,

Achira