“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
As a 13-year-old, I selected this as my 8th-grade quote for the yearbook. Back then I understood the premise of “being your own person” or “don’t follow what others do” as the main takeaways from the quote. Now, the quote has a deeper meaning to me as I apply it to my life today.
In my university years, I followed the path of many who came before me as what was deemed as “successful”. Successful business students in college were involved in certain clubs, did certain things, had certain acquaintances, and so on. I realized the “beaten path” was not the only path that laid in front of me. I initially failed to see the many forks in the road that offered alternative options.
Slowly, each day, I deviated from that beaten path in small ways that I knew would contribute to my future “success”. This is when “following where the path may lead”, I believe, stopped – almost entirely. One day I found myself on my own path, the kind I had to pave myself.
University suggests the path of “success” is graduating from business school and finding your fit in the corporate world. Sure, this is one way to do it. I, rather, chose to make my own path.
Upon graduation, I decided to pursue various interests in spaces that I felt were impactful. After all, a “job” should be pursuing work in an area you are passionate about; finding a way to monetize the things you love to do. I find myself dabbling in the pursuit to revolutionize education – both formally and informally – in a few endeavors. (View the Clients tab to see more).
It is my ultimate hope that I can challenge others to pave their own path or even to “take the one less traveled by”, in the words of Robert Frost. I’ll be sure to leave a trail along my way…