The Shifting Maze
Life is an evolving maze.
Each step you take shifts the path in front of you.
What may seem like an obvious next step will soon be shown to not be an option. The straight and narrow path that lies ahead proves to be just a mirage. The path before you will be anything but straight. It will have ups, and downs, surprise dead-ends, booby traps, unexpected forks in the road, and more.
How can you prepare for a maze that is constantly changing? How can you map out your next step when the map you are using will be useless?
The first step to beating the maze is understanding the maze. When you understand the only rule is that there are no rules you will be that much closer to the end. When you are able to get the idea that life must be a certain cookie-cutter way out of your head, you will unlock more paths than you knew existed. You see, what makes the maze we are on so complicated is that we are doing it in the dark. We do not know how many paths lie ahead of us. We walk past shortcuts, walk in circles, avoid non-existent walls, and run face-first into walls.
The second step is to embrace the surprises. The maze will have surprises (both good and bad). It is a fact. Your car will need a new motor. A flood will destroy your dream home. You will win the lottery. Be prepared for surprises and nothing will surprise you. It is also important to not let the surprises impact you. Maybe your dream house is destroyed, but a whole new journey is unfolding ahead of you. You could move to a new town and meet the most amazing lifelong friends who you value more than your dream home. You never know what is good or bad, so don’t let the surprises get you too far up or too far down. Stay even-keeled.
The third step is to understand everyone is in a different maze. No two mazes are alike. From the first second we are on this Earth all of our paths will immediately diverge. Don’t compare your path to those of others. And most importantly don’t judge others. You do not know the obstacles that have been in their maze. Focus on your maze.
The maze is a fun place to be. Enjoy your time in it.