Monday memo #49
Greet your fellow travelers.
The Monday memo is food for thought to fuel your week.
Greetings, fellow traveler!
There are many default paths in life. Go to college, get a job. Trails that are clearly marked: do this and all will be well. The path and the destination are clear.
And there is the unique, original path. The path you follow when you pay attention to your inner compass. The creative path. This is the path meant for you alone, and this path is unknown, uncertain. An adventure, a journey into the unknown.
The creative path is the one you make for yourself. It can be lonely. And yet, you are not alone. There are others, like you, making their way in the wilderness. These are the fellow travelers.
When you meet a fellow traveler in the back country, there is a spark of recognition, an instant bond, a twinkle in the eye that says, we are kin. With fellow travelers there is an instant bond, an openness to uncertainty and the unusual, a curiosity. For although each of you is on a solo journey, a unique path, in some way you are also on the same journey. A journey into the unknown, a journey full of challenges and obstacles, full of surprises, a journey that goes you know not where.
Some travelers are ahead of you on the path. Some are behind you. Some walk alongside you. If you travel the creative path for long enough, you will encounter other travelers occasionally. We recognize each other because we have chosen to forge our own way, to question assumptions, to wander off the beaten track.
Fellow travelers are solitary and few, but we enjoy each other’s company. We trade stories of our adventures. We share tips, tricks, techniques for overcoming obstacles. We help each other.
Exercise.
Here’s your exercise for the week: Keep your eye out for fellow travelers. How will you know them? They are calm in chaotic situations. They have faced the unknown before, and they know they can find their way. They are open to unusual ideas. They play. They laugh at inappropriate moments. They are grounded, comfortable in their own skin. They may be quiet, but they will have a twinkle in their eye. If you are on the creative path, you will recognize them, because you are one of them.
When you see a fellow traveler, greet them. Say hello. There are many things we can learn from each other. The creative path is solitary, but it is not lonely. There are others in the wilderness, finding their own way, and there is room for all of us.
Greetings, fellow traveler!
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