Change Is A Gift
Life changes. It's a given. Our interests, goals, and ambitions can shift in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it’s subtle, just a nudge in a slightly different direction. Other times, it’s as if the rug’s been pulled out from under us, leaving us headed somewhere entirely unexpected. In the best of cases, it feels like growth; in the worst, it might prompt a few funny looks from friends as they try to process why you’re abandoning a steady career to follow an inexplicably strong urge to, say, set up a porcupine sanctuary because you’ve simply had enough of banking. I’m familiar with that reaction; I’ve been there, pivoting from five intense years of studying music only to step away from it almost completely after leaving university.
Since that musical chapter, my CV has become a bit of an adventure novel. I’ve sold houses, worked in two private schools, spent summers trimming enormous hedges from a telehandler basket, and even delivered pizzas on rainy nights. Then there was my brief yet memorable stint as a hotel concierge... All these experiences, from the formal to the unexpected, have one thing in common—they each mark a chapter where change was my constant, and embracing it was my ticket forward.
The thing about change is that it has a way of reshaping our perspectives, sometimes opening doors we didn’t know existed. What starts as a pivot from a familiar path might end up leading us somewhere richer, more interesting than we ever could have planned. Each new role, random skill, or surprising detour doesn’t just fill out a résumé; it fills out life, adding layers of experience and stories we couldn’t have predicted. With every shift, I’ve gained a sense that the unexpected may hold more meaning than the predictable.
If there’s a point in all of this, it’s this: change, even when it seems like a detour, has the potential to lead somewhere remarkable. It teaches us adaptability, resilience, and maybe even a bit of humour when things get weird. The willingness to follow new paths, however unusual they might seem, isn’t just about curiosity; it’s about recognising that the most interesting stories often start with a leap into the unknown. Embrace it, and who knows? You might just find yourself on an adventure you’d never have written for yourself.