I think most of the time we exist under a misconception that the decisions we make shape our destiny when in fact, most of the time it’s events that impact on us that shape our destiny.
Some people have the strength of will to change their direction when things are not quite right, to move their lives to a better place. For many of us though, changes in direction are thrust upon us rather than selected by us.
When I reflect on how I got to here there are countless forced changes in direction:
- Better exam results than was ever expected when I was at school which pushed me towards a University course rather than a vocational college based course.
- An interview at Sunderland for a Senior House Officer job which didn’t go quite to plan forcing me to Nottingham instead.
- A rejection by the faculty of medicine at the University of Glasgow to study medicine towards Maxillofacial surgery.
- The purchase of the practices I worked at and developed a ‘comfort zone’ at by a large corporate organisation forcing me to branch out on my own.
In between these major changes in direction were many minor changes in direction thrust upon me at lower levels to push me in direction that I have followed so far.
Far from building walls and ditches and fences to protect us from changes in direction that are thrust upon us I think the best strategy is to embrace them, allow them to come and to see what happens. Apart from anything else this is probably the most exciting way to travel.
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