Be your own being

We all need a little nudge now and again. We expect people to guide us, to tell us where we are going wrong, to name the correct path. And when the people we love will not hand us those answers, we get frustrated.

I would encourage you to be your own being. Be confident in the choices you make for yourself. Have an independent, stubborn mindset — because you are the only one who can make those choices. And let’s face it: we all mess it up sometimes.

Many friends say, and I have been guilty of this too: “I wish someone would tell me the right thing to do,” or “I wish I knew how it works out years from now.” Sorry — we do not get that luxury. Trial and error is the only way.

The wrapped present

Consider the rest of your life to be a present, wrapped neatly, sitting slightly out of reach. A perfect bow sits on top. A small card hangs off the side. In beautiful cursive it says: do not touch.

You are tempted. You cannot wait to see what is inside. Maybe it is something useful. Maybe something you desperately need. Or something you did not expect or want. Like most presents, what is inside remains a surprise.

Sometimes waiting — and getting a small peek every now and again — is all we need.

Take the leap

Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we make the right choices at the right time. Sometimes the signs pointing right or wrong have been taken down, so we try our best. They say it all happens for a reason, right?

What I am saying is this: no one can decide for you. Be confident in your choices. Sometimes walking the wrong path helps you in ways you never imagined.

In reality, I do not think you need that nudge. I do not think you need to see inside that box. You know what you want. Take a leap — and the net will appear.