Carving out a career for ourselves is a little like negotiating highway traffic—not excluding the occasional burst of road rage!
Route 1: We can choose to take the congested roads, equipped with bumper to bumper traffic, not going anywhere in a hurry.
Route 2: We can choose alternative routes that might take longer, but at least we’ll arrive at our destination in a good state of mind.
Route 3: We can choose to wait things out, until the proverbial traffic dies down, and opt to embark on a journey that’s more strategic.
I consider Route 1 to be the default choice of most. We tend to feel safer when we’re traveling the road most traveled. And when we do, we must also accept the consequences of potential stagnation and the possibility of getting lost in the crowd. But it’s not all bad. The flip side is that there are more people to learn from and with whom to make positive and fruitful connections.
For those of us who could do without the hassle, Route 2 might be the choice for us. While it’s true that traveling an alternative road can take longer and can be more isolating at times, some find the peace of mind gained, a well worth it trade-off.
Route 3: In many cases, this road is taken because we have no choice. Route 3 can oftentimes reveal itself as a disguised blessing--even if not viewed as such, initially.
Years ago, I had a conversation with Matt Balitsaris from Palmetto Records about doing a follow up Global Unity recording. Sensing that I wanted to record, not because I inpsired to, but because I felt I needed to, he told me that sometimes it’s OK NOT to record—especially when the industry was going through the kinds of changes it underwent in 2003. Personally, I was glad I waited until the industry traffic died down. When I did decide to get back on the road again, it was on my terms. I went to where I wanted to go, not where others and my insecurities felt I should venture.
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