Comments on: The path not taken http://robinbrande.com/life/the-path-not-taken For writers, readers, and independent thinkers--book talk for readers and writers, life chats when we need them, writers' motivational articles, secret behind-the-scenes stories from the publishing trenches, and more. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:56:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: bj http://robinbrande.com/life/the-path-not-taken#comment-79 bj Thu, 11 May 2006 18:06:13 +0000 http://robinbrande.com/life/the-path-not-taken#comment-79 In high school and college I at various times wanted to be a writer, a dancer, an artist. At various times I've dabbled in all those things. And those things are actually closest to the core of me. Then I ended up doing stuff for a long time that was way apart from that core due to the needs of being a single mom. But I hated it. I eventually got closer to my heart when a friend suggested that I turn my buying and selling antiques hobby into a full time business. Oh, cool, I could touch art and fine things. Closer, but the true core was still not being touched, since I wasn't CREATING anything. I decided to put up my own ecommerce website for my vintage business, and since I was (as all startups are) on a shoestring budget, I set out to learn website design so I could do my own. The rest is history. Now the antiques business is back to being a hobby (and I never have finished my own ecommerce site!) I get to write and create artistic things but I also get to do something that I didn't know I loved until I started doing it-- coding. And it is so much more creative than I ever expected it to be. I take disparate things and make them work together to create a harmonious whole. Accident? Maybe . . . I do know that I wouldn't be nearly as happy as I am right now if I had listened to other people and not done this (you're too old, you need to go back to school for that, you don't have enough money to start up a business like that, programming requires math skills that you don't have . . . etc etc etc.) Now if I could just get someone else to VOLUNTEER to do my "paperwork" . . . so I could spend all my time geeking out . . . In high school and college I at various times wanted to be a writer, a dancer, an artist. At various times I’ve dabbled in all those things. And those things are actually closest to the core of me.

Then I ended up doing stuff for a long time that was way apart from that core due to the needs of being a single mom. But I hated it.

I eventually got closer to my heart when a friend suggested that I turn my buying and selling antiques hobby into a full time business. Oh, cool, I could touch art and fine things. Closer, but the true core was still not being touched, since I wasn’t CREATING anything.

I decided to put up my own ecommerce website for my vintage business, and since I was (as all startups are) on a shoestring budget, I set out to learn website design so I could do my own. The rest is history. Now the antiques business is back to being a hobby (and I never have finished my own ecommerce site!) I get to write and create artistic things but I also get to do something that I didn’t know I loved until I started doing it– coding. And it is so much more creative than I ever expected it to be. I take disparate things and make them work together to create a harmonious whole. Accident? Maybe . . . I do know that I wouldn’t be nearly as happy as I am right now if I had listened to other people and not done this (you’re too old, you need to go back to school for that, you don’t have enough money to start up a business like that, programming requires math skills that you don’t have . . . etc etc etc.) Now if I could just get someone else to VOLUNTEER to do my “paperwork” . . . so I could spend all my time geeking out . . .

]]> By: Emily http://robinbrande.com/life/the-path-not-taken#comment-78 Emily Thu, 11 May 2006 17:14:39 +0000 http://robinbrande.com/life/the-path-not-taken#comment-78 There is definitely a positive mix to be had between planning and doing. I think the point is not to let the planning impede any spontaneous things that could come up. Life should be comfortable, and I know many people who need to feel like they have control over details in their lives. However, I also know that these same people can bring spontaneity into their lives, and do things on a whim, even though they have schedules and long-term planning and etc. Living by Carolyn's quotation does not require giving up all of the lists. But, it is always good to remember that the things that you don't plan in life can turn out to be spectacular. There is definitely a positive mix to be had between planning and doing. I think the point is not to let the planning impede any spontaneous things that could come up. Life should be comfortable, and I know many people who need to feel like they have control over details in their lives. However, I also know that these same people can bring spontaneity into their lives, and do things on a whim, even though they have schedules and long-term planning and etc. Living by Carolyn’s quotation does not require giving up all of the lists. But, it is always good to remember that the things that you don’t plan in life can turn out to be spectacular.

]]> By: robin http://robinbrande.com/life/the-path-not-taken#comment-77 robin Thu, 11 May 2006 15:27:28 +0000 http://robinbrande.com/life/the-path-not-taken#comment-77 Lizzie, love that! Lizzie, love that!

]]> By: Lizzie http://robinbrande.com/life/the-path-not-taken#comment-76 Lizzie Thu, 11 May 2006 15:22:24 +0000 http://robinbrande.com/life/the-path-not-taken#comment-76 If you're going to choose a quote to live by, I think "On a scale from one to awesome, I'm super great!" is probably the best. If you’re going to choose a quote to live by, I think “On a scale from one to awesome, I’m super great!” is probably the best.

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