Tim Ferris has this great quote, “In a world where nobody really knows anything, you have incredible freedom to continually reinvent yourself and forge new paths, no matter how strange. Embrace your weird self. There is no one right answer… only better questions.”
For the most part, you’re not obligated to be the same person you were yesterday.
Nevertheless, we sometimes reluctantly stick with what we know because we fear what’s on the other side of change: we stick with career paths that we do not enjoy, we remain in relationships that are no longer fulfilling. We stay in the same spot — sometimes quite literally.
Yet, some of the most amazing people I know who braved the process of reinventing themselves came out the other end happier and more fulfilled than ever before:
I’m reminded of a professor who, with a handful of colleagues, successfully challenged how research was done in her field.
I’m reminded of an acquaintance who went to business school because he felt pressure to satisfy his parents but then later bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a video editor.
Change doesn’t guarantee good outcomes, of course, but it does spare you from the paralyzing question we sometimes ask ourselves (usually when it’s too late): “what if?”
If you ever find yourself caught between sticking with what you know out of fear and an urge to try something else, remember that the freedom and power to pick what happens next often rests with you.
What will you do?