Choose Your Own Adventure

When I was younger, I loved reading Choose Your Own Adventure stories; having the ability to decide how the story turned out as the reader felt exciting, and I also loved the ability to go back and choose again when things didn't go as I had hoped.  Every now and then, while I'm working at the library, I hear young readers mentioning these books, and I feel a sense of nostalgia take over.

What strikes me the most about the enjoyment of those books was the fluidity of choice they offered.  The knowledge that there was more than one way the story could go, and you could explore all of the options because there was no wrong answer.  As I have gotten older, that feeling of expansiveness has slowly been reduced:  choices have felt more cemented, and the idea of going back to try again has felt more daunting.

Sure, I have made some big changes in my life over the years, especially in the last decade, and I'm now in a place that I didn't even know existed not that long ago.  Having said all that, it still feels difficult at times to retrace my steps and try a different path from the one I felt so sure about previously.  

Just last week, I read a Facebook post from a friend of mine who has done just that.  He was sharing a new path he ventured down, and the unexpected outcomes his journey had brought.  It was so inspiring and delightful to read about his experience because it helped to remind me that we are never too far down any path to double back and try something new.  

Keeping ourselves open to exploration throughout our lives not only brings unexpected joy but also helps us to live a life that feels fulfilling and authentic.  Often, we find our true selves as we explore options that seem unrealistic or too different from the narrative that we've bought into.  What would happen if we allowed ourselves to live as if we were in a choose-your-own-adventure story, with the ability to choose again when we find ourselves ready to try a new direction?

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