Could I borrow your map?

Ive just arrived in Paris and have some time to explore and make the most of my days. I have no idea where to begin, or what I will get to see and experience in this time. A local woman walks past looking like a Boss who has it all figured out.. outfit on point and strutting her stuff like she means business. I watch her walk past imagining what her life is like and envision her sipping on bubbles at a french cafe watching the world go by before she wizzes to her dream job. I quickly run after her and explain I'm new to the city and if by any chance she has a map I could borrow?

She hands over a crinkled, faded,obviously dearly loved and worn map with a smile and strides off. Good luck I see her perfect lips whisper. Upon opening this map I see that certain spots are circled with small notations by their side in french ( note that I am australian), crosses at other locations, arrows and the most note worthy is that some chunks of the map are missing completely. How splendid!

I try to navigate my way around the city, but end up at places that are not what I was expecting, get lost more than once and at the end of the day I am left feeling defeated and ready to give up. I should have bought my own bloody map. FACE PALM

This my friends, is my analogy that I like to use for " Following our own path"

All too often many of us will watch friends, people we look up to, and of course instagram stars across the globe achieve the things we dream of. We watch from a far and see them climb every milestone to that dream job, bucket list experience, life partner and feel the pangs of jealousy as we punch ourselves with "what the hell am I doing with my life ?!" ( can I get an amen ?)

Caught in this whirlpool we will begin to think how we, ourselves, can also get to where they are today. We may look at all their steps,who they know, where they studied and begin to construct a yellowbrick road identical to theirs that will certainly lead us to success. Believing that in order to get to C we have to tick off their A and B first. For dancers it may look like

- If i sign with this agency

- If i take this persons class

- If i become one of "so and so's" main girls they use

- if i book that job

THENNNN I will be exactly where she is because "so and so" did this...

HOLDDD UPPPP

Its a TRAP!

Each and every one of us has our own destined path. We each have our own individual strengths and set of tools that make us uniquely "Me". Some things are waiting and manifesting for us in places we never imagined and every decision we make - neither "good" nor "bad" can easily diverge our path leading us to a different pot of gold than we imagined at times. By chasing other's yellow brick roads and following their maps we could potentially cut ourselves off from all the magic that was destined for us. I guarantee you there are moments and triumphs waiting for you and only YOU and only by following your intuition, making your decisions and not letting the devil on your shoulder (my buddy comparison) get too deep into our hearts will we find them. Sometimes you think you are falling off your path but really thats the universe causing a slight detour to a better destination.

Heres to creating our own messy, wonderfully loved, magical maps to what we call our lives.

and tell that lovely stranger, no thanks i got this !