Learn To Love the Pathless Trail
If there is no path, make one.
Hi there!
My apologies for this being a day late. There’s too much happening in the world and in my life. With my mind so busy, I dropped the ball. See, I am human. 😉
I used to be the guy who always wanted a plan.
I liked everything neat and tidy, with no surprises or deviations from the norm. Not entirely Type A, but I was darn close. Then, mental illness entered the picture.
Chaos ruled as king and no one seemed to have the answers to lead me back to the person I wanted to be.
Bipolar was bad enough, but then in 2016, an internist diagnosed me with Familial Mediterranean Fever. Nobody I knew had ever heard of it, including my doctor. When I searched for information, there was little to find.
So, I learned by trial and error and started writing about my experiences. I created my own path.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Scott Ninneman also publishes the free All Things Bipolar Newsletter (off Substack). The Sunday email features the newest content about bipolar life.
No map? No problem
I’m a rule follower by nature. Give me guidelines or a clear instruction manual, and I’m in my element. Rules make sense.
Directions keep me on track. But, often in life, you’re dropped in the middle of a jungle and left to find your own way out.
No map. No compass, and no one to ask for help.
When that happens, you have two choices: give up or forge ahead. That’s when it’s time to lead yourself out of the darkness and into the light.
Pull out your machete and start hacking away at vines. Kick stones out of your path and make your way to success.
You may have been dropped in the jungle, but you don’t have to stay there.
Use guides along the way
The good news is you’re not in a literal jungle. Millions are living with mental illnesses, and it’s never been easier to find information to help you live your best life.
The same is true with other trials in your life. The path ahead might not have a spotlight on it with a neon sign saying, “Walk this way,” but there’s usually someone who has been where you are before.
Let them help guide you, even if it’s just by their example.
Treat bipolar like the jungle
Bipolar disorder is definitely a jungle. Even with the best care team, there will be times you feel lost and alone, but you can succeed. Determination will keep you moving forward no matter how many vines hang in your way.
Life is easier when someone shows you the way. Unfortunately, there are times when no one is available to give you directions.
It may be up to you to learn how to live and thrive again. The journey forward may be hard, but you can reach your goal.
The next time you find yourself feeling lost, remember this: you are the only one who can create your destiny. Only you can write your story.
So go out there and forge your own path. The world is waiting for you.
What will you choose?
I choose to lead. And I hope you’ll join me.
Journal Prompt: Write about a time when you were forced to lead. What did the experience teach you?
Creative Writing Prompt: You wake up in the jungle with five strangers. No one remembers how they got there or where they are. You step up to lead. Write the story.
Until next time, keep fighting.
Scott Ninneman
Additional Reading:
The book that started it all…
Disclaimer:
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