You Are Standing At The Crossroads Of 2 Paths...

The sign pointing one way says Uncomfortable Path.

The sign pointing the other way says Comfortable Path.

Which one do you take?

412 B. C. Diogenes takes the uncomfortable path. He gives up all his possessions to live in a bath-tub in a street square. Read about his story here.

399 B. C. Socrates takes the uncomfortable path. He is convicted of the crime of impiety to the gods and sentenced to die by drinking hemlock. His disciples urge him to go into hiding. But he chooses to accept his fate. He believes it is right and just to abide by the decision of the Athenian court.

A.D. 5 and on: Christian martyrs, start taking the uncomfortable path. The first is St. Stephen. He allows himself to be stoned to death, rather than give up his faith, or stop professing his spiritual beliefs.

1478-1535 Sir Thomas More takes the uncomfortable path. King Henry asks Sir Thomas to recognize him as the Head of the Church, and to accept King Henry’s divorce of Catherine of Aragon as legal. Sir Thomas More refuses and pays the price with his life. King Henry convicts Sir Thomas More of treason and beheads him.

1809-1865 Abraham Lincoln takes the uncomfortable path. He opposes the efforts of several southern states to secede from the union in response to federal efforts to prohibit slavery in the territories yet to become states. It was an extreme test of courage and commitment. But he is unwavering until the insurrection is quelled and the Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect. As we all know, he paid for it with his life soon after.

1815-1902 Elizabeth Cady Stanton takes the uncomfortable path. She makes it her life’s mission to fight for American women to have voting rights. And she never gives up till the day she dies. Thanks to her efforts, and the efforts of other unwavering people like her, the 19^th Amendment is passed in 1920. American women enjoy the right to vote after that day.

1817-1862 Thoreau takes the uncomfortable path. He decides to go into the woods for over 2 years and live entirely off the land.

1869 – 1948 Mahatma Gandhi takes the uncomfortable path. He decides to lead the fight for India's independence from the British Raj. Even more remarkable, he chooses to do this through Satyagraha – an extremely uncomfortable path. India achieves independence in 1947 thanks to his leadership.

1918–2013 Nelson Mandela takes the uncomfortable path. He makes it his life’s mission to oppose South African apartheid. He is sentenced to a 27 year prison sentence for his anti-government activities, but nothing will stop him.

1929–1968 Martin Luther King Jr. takes the uncomfortable path. He decides to lead the civil rights movement. Thanks to his efforts, and his vision of equality for all people, equal rights for blacks become a reality.

What is it that makes us take the uncomfortable path?

Is it because as humans, we are driven to become greater versions of ourselves?

I think the answer is yes.

We are meant to be inspired, to evolve and to grow, and to create new realities.

We are meant to create more courageous realities, more creative realities, more authentic realities, more expansive realities, and more visionary realities – realities in alignment with who we are, what we believe in, and the better world we dream of.

Even in the limited sphere of our own personal life, we are called to become greater versions of ourselves - and to pursue more courageous realities, more creative realities, more authentic realities, more expansive realities, and more visionary realities - usually achieved by taking a more uncomfortable path.

What uncomfortable paths are you called to take – which could ultimately result in you becoming a greater version of yourself?

I give you some examples from my own life…

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I took the plunge into entrepreneurship by starting my own creative shop Purple Patch.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to move to America with my 11 month old child.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I said yes to my first job in commissions administration, a job for which I was not qualified by training or experience.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to become a freelancing consultant 8 years ago.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to give up my Tiger Mom and Helicopter Mom ways and become a Hippy Mom (now firmly on her way to becoming a Lighthouse Mom).

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to start this blog.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to share some uncomfortable things about my personal history on this blog.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to go without health insurance.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to become more authentic with the people in my life, and to tell it like it is.

You are standing at the crossroads of 2 paths.

The sign pointing one way says Uncomfortable Path.

The sign pointing the other way says Comfortable Path.

Which one will you take?

I will leave you with the perfect question for this moment in time – when you and I are standing at the brink of a brand New Year.

2019.

May it be the year in which you find the strength to choose the path that will lead you to a more courageous, more creative, more authentic, more expansive, and ultimately more abundant version of yourself.