Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads in life?
And worried that you might make the wrong choice? And take the wrong path?
I have. Many times.
I was reminded of this recently while watching the mini-series All Creatures Great & Small.
But first, if you haven’t watched the series yet, I highly recommend you do.
It’s based on the books by James Herriot, a vet in rural England in the 1930-40’s. And is full of warmth, laughter & heart. Not to mention stunning scenery, adorable animals (of all shapes and sizes!) and powerful life lessons.
But I digress…
It was during the Season 1 finale of the show that I had my flashback moment.
The main character, James drives off to Glasgow to spend Christmas with his family. Leaving Helen, the woman he secretly loves, behind…to marry another man.
It’s a total tear-jerker moment — at least for sentimental fools like me.
(“Don’t go James! Don’t leave Helen!” I implore.)
But just when I’m convinced James will drive all the way to Glasgow, he does something unexpected.
He stops the car.
In the middle of a huge intersection in the English countryside.
And sits there. Contemplating his choices.
Should he keep driving to Glasgow?
Or head back to Darrowby? Back to Helen?
The tension of this moment really hit home for me.
It reminded me of all the times that I’ve been at a significant crossroads in my own life.
Wondering which way I should go next…
1984: Should I move from Vancouver to Toronto to pursue my dream of modeling?
1994: Should I leave my job & city, & follow my Scottish boyfriend back to Edinburgh…perhaps to live forever?
2000: Should I move to Japan with my husband to teach English for a year?
2004: Should I leave my marriage and start a new life with my 1 year old son?
2007: Should I go back to school and become a life coach?
2017: Should I quit my full-time job and start my own business?
Like James, I’d paused at these big crossroads in life and considered all my options. And just like him I’d tried to do what felt right ‘inside’ of me.
Perhaps you’ve arrived at a similar crossroads in your own life.
Should you sell your home? Move to a different community, city or even country?
Leave a job or relationship? Go back to school? Retire?
Start a new career or business?
If so, you may be wondering what’s the right thing to do. And which path you should take.
Well here’s what I’ve learned over the years.
After saying yes to all of the above and falling flat on my face a few times.
There’s no right or wrong decision.
There’s only the one that feels right for you, at the time.
The most important thing is to connect to your own inner wisdom (intuition). And trust that it’ll guide you to what’s best for you in the moment.
Just like it did James.
(But I won’t tell you which direction he went. You’ll have to watch All Creatures Great and Small to find out.)
No one else knew what he should do.
Only he did.
And no one knows what you should do.
Only you do.
So whenever you find yourself at a crossroads in life — & you’re worried about doing the ‘right’ thing — try a different tack.
Pull a James:
- Stop in the intersection (of your life).
- Get in touch with what feels right inside.
- Trust your inner knowing.
- Move forward. Confidently. In whatever direction you choose.
And you can’t go wrong.
Cuz even if you fall flat on your face (like I did sometimes), you’ll learn and grow. And become the person you were always meant to be.
Kerry xo
P.S. Need help figuring out where you’re headed next? Download my free ‘figure out your next step in life’ coaching audio here.