Since an early age I had a wide range of ideas about what I would like to experience in life, but these never stayed the same, they changed and evolved as I changed.
Now in my late thirties, I am surrendering to the fact that a career is not for everybody. A few nights ago I had a long drawn-out dream. I dreamt that to get anywhere in the world you had to climb ladders. They were no ordinary ladders; they were made of weaved wattle and not easy to get my feet into the steps. And nobody was coming down ladders. Everyone had to climb up. My feet kept getting stuck in the grooves. I was so frustrated in the dream. No sooner had I climbed one ladder another appeared and everyone else seemed to effortlessly climb them. The dream changed when I stopped, swore, and basically said “This is ridiculous! There must be an easier way.!”
And I woke up
My first fear-filled thought was that I was stuck and everyone was overtaking me until, while walking, it dawned on me what it meant. I was not stuck, the ladders may be for a lot of people. A lot of people may need to know where they are heading and may need to know the prescribed route (career path) to get there, through trainings, courses and education. However, some of us are here to experience and embrace uncertainty and the unknown more fully and to embrace the gift of spontaneous choice – no path. Instead each step presents itself when we need to take it and not a moment before.
The 11th Hour
A lot of people talk about things working out at the 11th hour, but with those of us walking ‘ladder-free’, every moment is the 11th hour. It feels like walking on a road and ahead there is no road just an empty chasm. We ladder-free humans step out onto that chasm trusting that as we step onto that empty space, another part of the road will reveal itself to us.
This may be called trust or simply stepping into the unknown.
How Do You Live Ladder-Free When All Around People Are Climbing Ladders?
You live in the moment.
You embrace where you are right now.
If you have something you love to do, do it without attachment to the future. Keep bringing yourself back to the present and remind yourself that every step has been taken care of in your past. You are always taken care of.
You find the gift in not knowing; you discover your own strength; you acknowledge that you came into this planet not to achieve but to live and breathe, and for life to expand and flow through you.
A tree does not know it is going to drop its leaves in Autumn. It only knows ‘leaves’ and when leaves drop it knows ‘leaves drop’. We are the same. Look at nature and mirror its grace.
Your spontaneous path is as beautiful and valuable as anyone elses. Embrace it.
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Kelly Martin, author of ‘When Everyone Shines But You’ is a dedicated writer and blogger who fearlessly explores life’s deepest questions. Faced with a decade of profound anxiety and grief following the loss of her father and her best friend Michael, Kelly embarked on a transformative journey guided by mindfulness, and she hasn’t looked back since. Through her insightful writing, engaging podcasts, and inspiring You Tube channel Kelly empowers others to unearth the hidden treasures within their pain, embracing the profound truth that they are ‘enough’ exactly as they are.
It never really occurred to me to climb the career ladder when in my 20s. The same goes for buying a house. It's only since I've been in my 30s that I realised that a lot of people want to do these things. It all seems a bit odd to me that most people wouldn't do the jobs they do if money wasn't an issue, yet they work themselves into the ground just to climb higher up and get more money.
Hi Andy, I seemed to from an early age be surrounded by people that knew where they were going, all organised, all life planned out but I feel in the scheme of things life cannot be planned as we never know how life is going to unfold. I cannot understand the whole working to get up the ladder when it causes a lot of stress to do so, for what? Status? Job security? Nothing is secure, life is insecure to me we need to embrace insecurity and the unknown.
Hi Kelly! I really enjoyed reading this post. I live that spontaneous out of the box lifestyle. I've experienced one or two moment when someone else truly understood me & how I roll. For many it's a fascinated observation. I know it's not important for anyone else to get it, but I do like the feeling of knowing that there are others who resonate with life like this too! Things have always worked out & they always will, even if I don't know how. I'm perfect as I am. Not here to prove anything. I see myself more & more as an explorer of life. I like the energy of your blog & I'm looking forward to reading more. I resonate with much of it. I'm also an explorer of Abe teachings -reaching more for the things that uniquely ring my bells and my own guidance. I wanted to say hello & cheers!