Changing direction

One of the sections at TEDxBrum yesterday was entitled 'Changing directions'. There were talks about changing direction in the wake of mental health, looking forward in hope and inspiring others, and a talk looking at the paradox of change. They all got me thinking.

Change is something that unites all of us. There are many points in our life when we have to change direction. Sometimes it is a choice, sometimes it is a change that is forced upon us by a series of events. They always tend to be something that is entered into with a little bit of fear because it is a venture into the unknown and untested. It could be the change from one school to another, the change as you move out of your parents home, the change that comes as a relationship comes to an end, or as you switch careers. A change to try something new means looking into an uncertain future and walking towards it.

My map is marked with lots of directional shifts, some big some small. These directional shifts are what has brought me to Oxford, as a kid I certainly wasn't planning to living and working here, yet here I am.

I'm in the process of trying to work out some plans for the future. I'm looking at the things I am doing at the moment and working out what I want to do with them, how I want to grow them, I'm looking at things I want to do, places I want to go, something to aim towards. One of the things I am not doing is writing down in permanent ink though. I'm leaving room for the plan to shift, for my direction to change, leaving room for the unexpected. I'm not going to be disappointed if I don't hit all of the goals, and I'm open to change and exploring the unknown future.