Stick to the Path

dress-old navy vest-h&m belt-a'gaci shoes, clutch-thrifted necklace-charlotte russe

Last week I was waiting for the green line when a man sat down next to me. He said a few things, and a few non-committal nods on my part were enough to get him going. And by "going" I really mean "to bestow pearls of wisdom". He told me he was homeless (I must have made some sympathetic face because he said "Now, don't look like that, it's not your fault") then said, "What you need to do is stick to the path." He let that sit for a minute, then elaborated, "These people out here, they don't stick to the path. They let themselves go off the path, then they get lost with drugs and drinkin'. That's wrong. They gotta stick to the path." 

Having blown my mind, he dropped this final bombshell, "If the path you're on is working for you, don't let anyone else change it."

This advice came at a time when I was thinking about the fact that I'll be turning twenty-three this year, and I feel like I haven't really accomplished much.  If you had asked me when I was twelve, I would have sworn I'd have a doctorate by now. 

However, after having this conversation, I feel a lot better. I'm happier now than I've ever been, because I stopped putting so much pressure on myself. I literally made myself sick trying to make everyone happy,  to be who I thought I was supposed to be. 

But you know what? This path works for me, and I'm not changing it. 

What about you?