Sometimes, You Just Keep Going

This morning on my walk, I came to a place where I had two ways to go.

I could turn one way or the other.

For a moment, it made me think about a conversation I once had with an ex.

I remember talking about choices, direction, and the weight of making decisions that other people may not fully understand. At the time, there was something about needing another person’s input—needing to know what they thought, what they preferred, or whether they agreed with the direction I was taking.

But standing there this morning, looking at two different ways I could go, I realized something.

I didn’t need to choose either one.

I could just keep going.

And I laughed a little and shook my head because sometimes life really does have a way of putting a physical picture in front of you for something you’ve been learning internally.

I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about whether the people around me understood my choices. Whether they agreed. Whether my decisions made them comfortable. Whether choosing myself would somehow make me difficult, selfish, or wrong.

I’m learning that I don’t need to live there anymore.

Sometimes words have two meanings. Sometimes a choice can look simple from the outside while carrying an incredible amount of weight for the person making it.

What looks like a turn to someone else may represent an entire life decision to you.

And that’s something I’ve learned to respect about myself.

I don’t always know what’s around the corner.

I don’t always know which direction life is going to take me.

But I know I have what I need to keep moving.

There is something incredibly freeing about realizing that you don’t have to wait for someone else’s opinion before trusting your own path.

You don’t have to explain every decision.

You don’t have to convince someone that your needs are valid.

You don’t have to keep detouring yourself just because the road you’re on makes someone else uncomfortable.

And yes, sometimes choosing yourself gets lonely.

But I’ve come to understand that there is a difference between being alone and abandoning yourself.

I’d rather experience the loneliness that comes with walking my own path than the emptiness that comes from constantly putting myself on the back burner so someone else can stay comfortable.

So this morning, I didn’t turn left.

I didn’t turn right.

I kept straight.

And maybe that’s the lesson.

Not every crossroads requires a dramatic decision.

Sometimes the answer is simply to trust yourself enough to keep going.

I may not know exactly where the road leads, but I trust myself to meet it when I get there.

-Brittany 🧡, CD, ELD
Holistic Wellness Practitioner • Herbalist • Full Spectrum Doula