No Two Journey’s Are The Same

Hey Marvelous Human!

This is me with the brilliant & lovely peregrinas (pilgrims) I traveled with last October on the many trails of the Camino de Santiago. I love this group picture for a number of reasons! It’s fun, and it depicts unity & a community of like-minded individuals all headed in the same direction.

But it struck me today, that while it has the appearance of a “group” headed to Santiago, which can often convey conformity, the truth is we adapted to the process in our own unique ways. They were as unique as the roads we traversed.

There were guidelines offered, suggestions for “how to”, tips for what to do in various situations. But because we are all different, the only way to know for sure how it would work was to put one foot in front of the other and see how it would go.

We each had our own experience, challenges, and triumphs along the way. Our journeys were different, even though the direction we were going was the same. We found our own rhythm through trial and error. We pushed ourselves, and eased up when it was necessary. We listened to our bodies. We helped one another. We found grace and compassion . We found out what we were made of & it was profound.

The way we uniquely adapted to the external and internal circumstances is what made the experience our own. No two journeys were the same because of this. This is how it should be and often is in so many (dare I say all) areas of life when we allow it to be.

There is rarely a “one size fits all” for the various paths in life. Learning to adapt (to make or become suitable for one’s own benefit) is how we make things work for us. It’s not about conforming to someone else’s ideal, but figuring out if what is being offered works for us or not! Sometimes it will. Sometimes it won’t. Sometimes we will have to adjust, shift and modify based on our personal preferences, limitations, abilities, and circumstances.

This choice to adapt doesn’t mean anything has gone wrong or that there’s anything wrong with you. Instead, it’s the indicator of you trusting and believing in the brilliance of who you are so you can effectively make your own way on whatever path you’re traveling!

With love,

Kathryn