“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell
I’m acquainted with two individuals who’ve planned occasions in their life down to their age.
One is determined to achieve a certain career level by the time he’s 40, and the other has it set in stone to move back home and build a house of her own by the time she’s 27.
Goals are an important part of life. They help to keep our journey on track and moving in the right direction, further enabling those aspirations to become a reality.
But planning too far in advance, in such great detail, can also lead to a feeling of utter failure when plans go awry. Believe me I know, for I’ve unfortunately been on the receiving end of such an experience.
Arthur C. Clarke once said, “All human plans are subject to ruthless revisions by Nature or Fate or whatever one preferred to call the powers behind the Universe.”
To hold such rigidity to one’s goals is a recipe for disaster and incredible disappointment when the ensuing plans simply take another unexpected direction.
That dear readers is the lesson I’ve learned about plans. They often DO take a very unexpected direction. But I’m happy to report that they’ve all exceeded my expectations and provided my life with love, learning and friendship I would have ultimately missed out on had my “plans” all come to fruition.
Setting goals is fine, just so long as you fully understand that life will inevitably happen in between without warning. But take solace in the fact that changing one’s plans doesn’t mean there isn’t something better waiting for us.
