Lately I’ve been getting this question a lot, “How do you do it? How are you so successful? What’s your secret?” I grin and say, “Well, I’m sure it’s not how you think.” I usually get a confused look after that. You see, my pathway to where I am now was never like driving on the thruway to my one-way destination. It looked a lot more like this:

Which, essentially, is how it should be. A few of my fellow classmates have taken the straight and narrow path. They went through high school, graduated, moved on to a four-year university as they stayed to one major (probably a “reliable” one; doctor, vet, mathematician, teacher), graduated from university and went on to their grad degree. Sure, they were happy and comfortable, but they sure did miss out on a lot.

I took a different kind of path. I barley graduated high school, almost joined the army, got into community college to study Graphic Design, took a semester off waiting tables and traveling, and then landed in a University as a transfer student studying Communication. And yet, I’ve found myself with more award claims, more opportunities, and overall an abundant lifestyle. Those who I’ve seen take a path similar to mine have gone through a major amount of hardships but they have experience. They have been trampled on a countless amount of times to find themselves just crawling to their destination. The one thing we have learned that most haven’t because of this, is that it never ends. After one success we always look for the next. This untraditional lifestyle becomes addicting and we are constantly searching for more adventure. We stray away from the ordinary as much as possible.

If you think about it, most of the more successful people we know of probably didn’t even go to college because their mind wasn’t made for streamlined thinking. I did more than just flip flop around in school. I joined different clubs, went to a variety of different events, met new people, traveled to their hometown, lived their life, then came back home. I had this overwhelming thirst for experience and learning and I wanted to find that outside of the classroom.

There is only so much a professor can teach you. Life can teach you so much more. Life can teach what heartbreak means and how to mend it. Life can teach you how to negotiate your way around a situation. It can show you that there are so many more alternatives than to the ordinary day to day bullshit. We are growing up in a society that gives us a streamlined way of living with a “to-do” schedule that starts at 7 A.M. and ends at 10 P.M. I challenge you to stray away from this one day. Order something different on the menu that you’ve been nervous to try. Go to a different lunch spot. Talk to a stranger on your daily commute. Listen to a different genre of music. You can start off small then go big. Don’t be afraid of mistakes because it will get you nowhere. Mistakes are inevitable. We are bound to make them and learn how to overcome them but it will never take you off your path because everything happens for a reason. Your mistakes are there to tell you that something is not working to get you to your destination.

So what is my secret you ask? My secret is to say yes to things I never thought I would. It’s to take the long drive home. It’s to talk to a person I’ve never met before. It’s to ask a question that is worth knowing the answer to even if people think it’s ridiculous. Success is different for everyone. For some, it is making a lot of money. For others, it may just be achieving happiness. Whatever it is for you, remember that you don’t need to follow the “one-suit-fits-all” system. Remember that you are unique and you can create a path that works for you, even if no one else agrees with you.

So go ahead. Trip up a few times. Fall down and burry your face in the mud. Believe me, what results is worth it. After all, some of the most bitter tasting things in life, end up being the best for us.