Alternative Paths- 30 Day Challenge

Alternative Paths by Jonathan Fields


When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name; the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The world buzzes about goals and visions. Focus. Create a vivid picture of exactly where you want to go. Dream big, then don’t let anything or anyone stop you. The problem, as Daniel Gilbert wrote in Stumbling Upon Happiness, is that we’re horrible at forecasting how we’ll really feel 10 or 20 years from now – once we’ve gotten what we dreamed of. Often, we get there only to say, “That’s not what I thought it would be,” and ask, “What now?” Ambition is good. Blind ambition is not. It blocks out not only distraction, but the many opportunities that might take you off course but that may also lead you in a new direction. Consistent daily action is only a virtue when bundled with a willingness to remain open to the unknown. In this exercise, look at your current quest and ask, “What alternative opportunities, interpretations and paths am I not seeing?” They’re always there, but you’ve got to choose to see them.

(Author: Jonathan Fields)

I've never been the type of person, to seek out the unknown. I do when I am told to or called to, but I often do not do that of my own choosing. I wonder what it would be like if I truly did explore my passions. Could it lead to my ultimate dream ending with a final destination of my passions being in line with God's passions? It often surprises me when I do something out of the blue. Jamaica, is a good example of this. It has surprised me both times that I have been to the most rural parts of Jamaica that I followed through with it despite my fears. But, it has also somehow surprised me that it is here where I know that my passions truly were in line with God's passions. My passions for traveling, meeting people, combating poverty, encouraging neighbors, and doing hard manual labor were all tied into this one trip.

For the future (5-20 years)my dream would be to be able to have accomplished these things:
- Get married; have a family- big or small
- Visit Sydney, Australia for longer than a week's vacation
- Learn from/intern at Hillsong Church
- Be a pastor of a church
- Get a doctorate in relational leadership

- Go to Princeton Seminary

- Be a part time missionary- that partners a foreign 3rd world church with an American church

- Visit a little girl named Wenddy in the Dominican Republic

If there are alternative paths that I am not seeing, my eyes will have to be opened. But, I look forward to what faith brings: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)