There is no Straight Road to success
Updated: Jul 24, 2020
So here I am, coming acha with another page of the ramblings of my brain. Up today is the topic of failure, but really just a change of direction, and again, and again.
I mean a change of direction on my part has gone from left to right, to up to down, but it most definitely doesn’t lead to failure. I think this is something that is really important for people to acknowledge and hopefully in hearing that not everyone – really very few – are on a straight road to success, but still on the road nevertheless. I feel that in this time of social media where everyone appears to be #winning at life it’s easy to think that you’re not keeping up or you’ve not lost enough weight to be like one of the ‘instamodels’ or you’re not getting epic grades (or the equivalent) without even trying, as everyone else seems to be. Though it takes a strong sense of self, you’ve got to try and make the decisions that feel right to you (how cliché that sounds its not even real), if you’re not happy about something change it and if it doesn’t work out, well my friend CHANGE IT AGAIN. Nothing is set in stone! Go with your gut girl/boy friend – that what I've done and mines all messed up with Crohn’ disease!
Let’s take dear old Lulu over here for an example. She went to Australia travelling and fell in love – quelle surprise who knew?! Wanted to stay, so applied for Sydney Uni to study a Bachelors of Science in Geography and Nutrition. Wahoo, ya gurl got that place! Next up find funding, cos you know that international student shite is SPENNAY. Another surprise coming up, did she find the funding?
Nope.
So back to grotty old England to try at the degree she already had a place for at Exeter. Exeter was all well and nice but the decision was made, in the first week, that to actually enjoy life, the degree combination would have to be changed. Now to do Geography and History of Art, not economics. Happily sailing away until Christmas holidays and them BAM! Existential crisis hits. What am I doing? Why am I doing it? Is there any point?
Nope.
So next up on the agenda, what do I actually want to do? Hmmmm I’ve been interested in nutrition for a while now, maybe take that more seriously? So, she completes the year at Exeter, drops out, frantically tries to find someone to take her place in the house she’s put a deposit down for(!) and enrolls in a nutrition degree. Yay! Now I’m on the straight path.
Nope.
Do I have A Levels in Chemistry or Biology?
Nope. Nope.
So, now at home after travelling all over the place in Indonesia and (quelle surprise times 2) back to Sydney – was SO close to changing my flights home. After 2 weeks I am well over England, but you know what my friends, we gotta make the most out of every sitch don’t we? And I'm here studying my biology and chemistry A Levels to then start the Nutritional Science degree in January. Woopee do.
Yup.
So take ol Lulu over here; straight road? I think not and most likely not gonna be straight going forward either. I’m sure we’ve got a kink in the road ahead! I feel like I just want to use myself as an example that behind all the perfect lives that we’ve all presented ourselves with on instagram, its really not like that at all. And actually if you make a wee mistake in choosing a degree or which uni you go to or which job you take or WHAT YOU HAD FOR DINNER, it NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. Honestly, my dear, life goes on and we make the best of what we’re given. Be driven. Make it work. Its not going to get handed to you and let me tell you, its so much better to succeed at something you’ve worked your wee toosh off to get for yourself than to have success handed to you on a silver platter alongside some dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts (to nibble whilst basking in your glory). But really I'll still take the nuts . . .
And as they always say; its not about the destination its about the journey.
(Sorry, but had to end on another cliché)
Some days we're on top of the world drinking green juice, others we need a red bull just to open one eye.
