The Accidental [fill in the blank]

Much of what I've done in my life has been by accident. I set goals, begin to work on them, and then something happens to change the track. (I was going to say "throw me off the track", but that sounds too negative and the results are not usually negative.)

I know people who are very focused, have always known what they want to do, and become very successful by a variety of measurements. I've rarely been that way for more than a short period of time. I'm more of an organic person, going with the flow.That doesn't mean I don't take initiative. I inquire about options, apply for jobs, sit in on others' classes and generally expose myself looking for opportunities and inspiration. While this has usually worked for me, it's also sometimes left me wondering if this was a legitimate way to run my life.

Well, now I have some validation. I recently finished reading Composing a Life by Mary Catherine Bateson. In the last chapter, she talks about how intently pursuing goals can be a restrictive way to lead one's life; that being willing to diverge, to follow an unexpected opportunity, leads to experiences one didn't know existed. Those experiences can be just as, if not more, fulfulling than the original goal.

So Thank You, Mary Catherine Bateson. I certainly consider you and the other women in your book extremely successful in your careers. And while mine hasn't reached quite the same heights, I found reading your stories (like Liz Gilbert's) reassuring. I know that, like me, you've had crises of confidence and sometimes doubt yourself, but through it all you continue to compose your life.