Facing Failure
New roads with unknown destination points. They hold seemingly guaranteed hope. These are the roads, when standing and staring at the fork before us, are the well-lit roads. The ones freshly paved with clear direction. It seems like there is a being above holding a spotlight, shining down on the very path that seems so clear.
Then there are other roads that lay before us. These are the risky roads, off the beaten path. Robert Frost would call this “the road less traveled by.” For down this road, we see bumps, tree roots sticking up, hoping to trip us to stumble. We may see dimly lit paths as the sunbeams struggle through the leaves. Some areas may be fully engulfed in darkness, leaving you unsure of the footing. These paths are far more uncertain.
Some advise taking the path of least resistance. “Why reinvent the wheel?” they may ask. When confronted with the fork in the road, you stand. Indecisive. Unsettled. Discontented. These are the shouts you hear. As much as you want to please those seemingly more confident, you cannot deny your desire. There is a deep pull from within which drives you closer and closer to the unpaved path.
Then there is fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of making the wrong choice and being shamed for your failure. Fear “they” were all right all along (whoever “they” are). Fear you won’t be able to pay the bills. Fear you will be seen, not for your valid contributions, but your shortcomings—fear of your own insecurities and lack of knowledge.
In Emily P Freeman’s Book The Next Right Thing, she poses a question to ask when standing at the fork in the road. This question is thought-provoking and might leave us wondering, wanting more than just a simple right answer.
““Am I being led by love or pushed by fear?””
When faced with a decision, any decision that leaves us feeling indecisive and unsure, asking this simple question can help decipher what is pulling or pushing us one way or another. Here are a few indicators of what it might look like to know which is guiding you:
Do you have peace, even when there is no clear ending? Or must you know where you are going?
Is there a path you must walk, no matter the outcome? Or do you turn away at the first sign of obstacles?
Can you take the next step slowly? Or do you feel like you have to rush through the process?
Does this decision allow you to create space for your soul? Or are you suffocating under the weight of the next step?
I’ll leave you to ponder these questions as you wrestle through the hopes and failures that await you.
Are you facing a fork in the road today?
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