Story Behind Pathconscious

Andy Stanley wrote a life-changing book not too long ago that describes a simple yet very profound principle: every path has a destination. And what’s more, a path’s destination is the same for everyone who follows that path. The revolutionary part of this principle is that it applies to our lives as much as it does to physical paths. Every thing that we do (or don’t do) in life is a step down a certain path. Saving money, eating junk food, spending time with God, using drugs, working out, having dinner with your family consistently… these are all paths and they all lead somewhere.

I am currently 25 years old. Like most people my age, I have big aspirations and goals for the future. It seems to me that the time period between the ages of 20 and 45 are the most important in a person’s life. It is life’s “game time.” By your 20’s you will hopefully be educated and prepared enough to take on life’s challenges.  This is a time when society looks to you most for your contribution to the world. Younger than 20 and the world thinks you are just a kid, older than 45-50 and the world considers you on your way out the door. This phase of life is both exciting and dangerous. It is like navigating a mine field where unfortunately the consequences for your actions are more painful and will likely affect more people than other periods of your life. Unfortunately, time goes by incredibly fast during this period and it can over before you realize it has started.

Being Path Conscious means being aware of the paths that we are on in life (financially, relationally, spiritually…etc). It is taking an honest assessment of where we are and where we want to be. The sad reality of life is that if we do not consciously choose wise “lifepaths” we will be herded down the paths that our culture or society has chosen for us! Almost everyone I know hopes or has hoped at one point for a good marriage, to be financially stable, physically fit, and to have a fulfilling job. However, the divorce rate in this country is over 50% and many of us are in debt, overweight, and unfulfilled by our jobs.. Our culture has not done a great job of directing our paths!

The good news is that we have the option to stop and ask for directions when we are lost or even before we get lost. Knowing that I only get one shot at these next 20 years, I plan on leveraging every piece of wisdom that I can to help me choose the right paths, avoid pitfalls along the way, and eventually end up at good destinations. I definitely do not have life figured out nor do I “have it all together.” Like everyone else, I am prone to make mistakes and am easily led off path. Because of that, I started PathConscious with the intention of placing “guideposts”  for myself along some of the most important lifepaths. I hope that these guideposts will act as reminders for me and anyone else that reads this site as to what is truly important in this world.