I’ve never lived with a step-by-step plan designed to land that job or that promotion.
No laminated roadmap taped to the wall, no red X marking the destination.
Instead, I’ve tried to navigate by two compass points: curiosity and character.
Curiosity keeps me exploring,
asking “What if?” and “Why not?” when others are certain the path is fixed.
Character keeps me grounded,
reminding me that how I travel matters just as much as where I end up.
The aim is simple:
be the best version of yourself you can be—
with integrity—
and trust that this positions you well for whatever lies ahead.
You don’t always need to know what that “something” will be before you start moving.
Life is richer when we choose to wrestle with the ambiguity of complexity
rather than reduce it to the simplicity of certainty.
That’s true in every sphere—
being a good partner in marriage,
raising children,
choosing your vocation,
shaping your career.
Maps can be useful, but they can also be limiting.
They lock you into predetermined routes,
leave little room for surprise,
and sometimes tempt you to measure success only by reaching the destination.
A compass, on the other hand, points you in the right direction.
It gives you the freedom to adapt when the terrain changes—
to take a detour when the view is worth it,
to pause when the moment calls for stillness,
to change course when you discover a better way.
Because the journey itself matters.
The people we become along the way matter.
And sometimes the destination is a mystery—
and that’s not a bad thing.
The Afterword 
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