This post is going to be extremely fun, because it is going to be just an off topic discussion about anything and everything that comes to mind.

Right now, as I am typing this, I am watching Chad Smith drummer of the RHCP (Red Hot Chili Peppers for the uninitiated) and he is playing “the Kill” by 30 seconds to Mars and it is his first time hearing the song which he is hearing without the drumbeat. He has to just come up with his own version of what he thinks the drums would or should sound like to the drumless track. He does an absofreakinlutely and phenomenally amazing job at doing this off cuff and nails it.

The ability to adapt and make something out of nothing is such an invaluable skill especially when it comes to finding yourself off the beaten path. Adaptability and creativity are essential to finding your way when trying to navigate new and unfamiliar territory. If it’s true what they say that there is nothing new under the sun, it is important to understand the context and not feel as though you can’t do something in a new and exciting way.

So, if you really look at the concept that there is nothing new under the sun, think about it like this. Everything already exists, it is all already here, but yet there are still plenty of things that are as of yet undiscovered. Some people take it way to literally and feel like they shouldn’t do anything or try anything new because everything has already been done. If this were literally the case cell phones and tv’s and many things that we love and use to do would have never been created if everyone had just decided that there was no reason to try and come up with new innovations.

Going off the beaten path is all about discovering new things and not giving into fear of the unknown. The reason most people stick to the beaten path and stick with let’s say a 9-5 job is because it is the most common path that the majority is following, and it is comfortable even if they are completely and utterly miserable. I find myself somewhere in the middle of this, but I am creating my own path by building this website and telling stories that are hopefully engaging and informative.

There are definitely times when staying on the beaten path is the best way to go for sure. Which reminds me of when an adventure I went on as a child while I was at church camp one summer. The counselors had taken several groups up a small mountain on a beaten path that was well marked and safe for anyone to traverse, but on the way back down my group counselors decided to take our group down the back side of the mountain where there was absolutely no path and very little safety in getting down. At the time it was kind of fun yet kind of scary because there were lots of jagged edges and water streaming down which made footing a bit trick and slippery, but we made it.

As I look back, I can see how going off the beaten path impacted my life in so many ways, both good and bad. One, I now and oftentimes in the past have the desire to try things that most people wouldn’t dare try. I have jumped off of bridges into small bodies of water, I have swum across flowing rivers, and I have lived on the streets homeless. These are examples of some of the bad things because I am a risk taker and a mild adrenaline junky.

On the positive side, I have gained tons of confidence, and plenty of once in a lifetime experiences that cannot be taken away from me because I have already done them. Going off the beaten path is life changing and invigorating, it is one way to really check your pulse and make you feel alive. It’s so easy to stay on a particular life path and you start to feel like an automaton. Which is basically most peoples lives on a daily basis and they are like the walking dead, they just go through the motions, they are living on auto pilot and have very little joy or fulfillment.

Like I said, I am somewhere in the middle of these two, but I have woken up and become aware of the situation. I am actively engaged in my life and when I feel as though I am slipping into auto pilot mode, I make a conscious effort to regain control and shake things up a bit. One way to go off the beaten path could be as simple as learning something new or trying a new restaurant or new type of food that you would not normally eat. It is best to start simple and safe.

It would be incredibly unwise to go from having a comfortable lifestyle and job, to selling or giving everything away to go live on the streets and learn some tough lessons. The goal is to just get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Take a new path home from work or maybe try a new grocery store, there are many ways to go off of the beaten path without having to put yourself of others in danger.

Going off the beaten path is about blazing new trails and trying think not just outside of the box, but to think in terms of the box having never existed at all. Imagine a world where boxes don’t exist, well someone did and that’s why boxes exist now. Going off the beaten path is why people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have been so wildly successful in Business and commerce. They went from seemingly simple entrepreneurs to now starting ventures to space, talk about going off the beaten path.

Anyways that’s my little rant for the moment, I’m glad I got that all out, hopefully something got you excited about trying something new and going off the beaten path even if it’s just to try a new topping on your pizza.

As always thanks for stopping by, now get out there and go plant some seeds somewhere off the beaten path and maybe someone else will find the fruit of your labors.