The Path Less Traveled

Some years ago in early 2000s, there was a popular book called, “The Road Less Traveled” by Scott Peck. I believe it was about spiritual growth. I say “I believe” because I never read it. The first line of the book read, “life is difficult,” which turned me off and I stopped reading, or I guess I never started reading it past that first line. As I just checked on the description on Amazon, of course, I see it is indeed about “changing towards a higher self-understanding,” which makes me curious.

I thought about the book because the other day I was thinking how “unconventional” the path I traveled in my life has been. Although I don’t think it was all that “wild” per se, my life is definitely not a path that most of my peers have traveled. Sometime I wish I knew exactly what I wanted to do early on in my life, and made the plan accordingly as many do. But those who had followed such a trajectory would probably run into some unexpected twists and turns, I’m sure. I had many different ideas about what I wanted to do, but it kept evolving and unfolding. By default I just kept following a path that was less expected, and consequently it’s been very inefficient from a “conventional” point of view. For example, I took 8 years to complete my undergrad degree. Also I admit I mostly winged whatever works I did professionally as I didn’t get any formal trainings.

Now that I have less years ahead than behind and looking back, I can’t imagine doing it any other way. Some may see my path as wasteful, but the waste for me became the fertilizers for how my life is still evolving into. I do hate wasting food, energy, and any materials. I drive my husband crazy as I always nag him about not wasting anything. Yet in the case of my life, I don’t feel like I have wasted my life so far as everything is now a part of me.

Only from the little glimpse of the book by Peck, what he talks about in the book sounds very much like the teachings of Buddha. “There’s suffering in life” is the first Noble Truth in Buddhism, and through the practice we get to understand ourselves better. If by going on the less traveled path, we get to understand ourselves better although it sure can be scary and painful, I think it’s definitely worth it. I am actually rather curious and excited to see how life will continue to unfold as I keep choosing the path less traveled both personally and professionally. Stay tuned.