“Traveler, there is no path. The path is made by walking.”

Cheers to Building a Life of Passion and Purpose

Chantél Cappuccilli
Nov 7 · 2 min read
Phuket, Thailand — Photo By Me, Chantél Cappuccilli

Do you know what tomorrow will bring? Me neither.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a planner. But for the first time in my life, I don’t know what’s next. I used to avoid uncertainty and more often than not, made decisions that solidified security.

I climbed the professional ladder rather quickly. But in all honestly, that’s what I thought I was suppose to do. Get the job, be the boss, do the thing. I did the thing, and from an outsiders perspective — it probably looked ideal.

Somewhere along the way, I listened to expectation. I listened to “should,” and I listened to comfort. And in doing so, I learned that sometimes, your passion does not always equal your purpose.

In Liz Forkin Bohannon’s new book, “Beginner’s Pluck” she exclaims — “Passion is not a preexisiting condition.

Passion and Purpose are built over time with consistency and courage and commitment and pluck.

It’s in the simple work of being interested and the brave work of exploring and the sacred work of trying and failing and trying again where passion and purpose are not found, but built.”

I listened to stories that were not my own. I silenced the urning to build a life of passion and purpose and settled on finding my passion.

Liz goes on to say,

“If you can see the path, if it’s relatively straight and narrow, if you have a pretty good idea about how the story ends, then it’s not your story.

As Antonio Machado reminds us, ‘Traveler, there is no path. The path is made by walking.’”

Right now, my path is no more than a single step in to the present. An intentional step, one that says — you are capable of more than you think. A step that stretches me, makes me uncomfortable, and challenges me.

It’s an invitation to take a risk, and revisit other passions (interests) that previously turned background noise.

The path is not laid firm, it’s not straight and narrow, and I surely don’t know how the story ends. And for once in my life, I’m okay with that.

Ciao,

Chantél

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade