When Things Change

Sometimes I write about things and I don’t know how people are going to interpret them. Sometimes I write about things that are about my direct life and other times the topic is a general thing I notice is relevant to a friend, many people or situations. Basically I’m saying that things shouldn’t be read in a certain way because I might not mean what you think. It occasionally annoys me that people are reading into things something that just isn't there, so please bear this in mind for past and future posts. If you want to assume certain things about me, then go ahead, but bear in mind that you might be wrong. Anyway, lets move on.

Sometimes things happen in life that are totally unexpected and can change the course of your future entirely. These changes can range from a minor, to a cataclysmic impact. They may seem like the absolute worst thing that could ever happen and that we can never possibly come to terms with the consequences, or envisage the new future we are about to be thrown into.

However, the reality of the matter is that while there are steps that can be taken to make life far more like you expected it to be, we can choose to embrace this change and see it as a good thing that was simply meant to be. The uncertainty of the future can feel overwhelming, but then again, can we ever be sure that our grand plan was ever going to go according to plan in the first place?

For example, I’m planning to go into a career in teaching, but if everything went wrong and I dropped out for whatever reason, I have literally no idea what I would do instead, but I know I’d just find something because that’s just what you have to do to pay the bills, the rent, maintain your lifestyle. I'd just have to accept the change, and find a new path to go down, even if I wasn't sure what I was to come across. (This picture is a road we found when in Northern Ireland, I didn't take it, but it is stunning so thought I'd just pop it in as a broadly relevant image)

So often, we’re encouraged to have a master plan, and from such a young age. People have been shoehorned into the belief that the only successful ones are those with degrees, when in the current climate, we have been forced to reassess this assumption. Degrees come at a great cost, and for many bring few benefits. Of course, people can build successful and happy careers without sustained levels of higher education. My Dad left school at 16, became a chef and has been happy with his career. He enjoys serving people food he has cooked and appreciates the positive feedback he receives, while my Mum went and got a degree, became a teacher, and is also very happy. My point is that while my parents had different paths in life, and constantly argue about who has the hardest job, they are both very satisfied people, and are living proof that it doesn’t matter what you know or how many certificates you have. And having worked with both of them I can safely say they have completely different jobs, but both work hard! Sometimes I wonder who the bickering children are!!

Basically, if the shit hits the fan, and your life takes a path you didn’t anticipate, you have to work with the situation. Clean it off, accept that it has happened, and move forward knowing that you have coped with it in the way that is best for you. Whatever path your life goes, enjoy it because you only get one. Noone can tell you how to cope with your newfound situation, because it is yours. Your life is your own, and ultimately, while you can’t always predict the ways it twists and turns, you just have to turn the steering wheel accordingly.