I can attest to the fact that when the picture in the upper left was taken there wasn’t one seed of evidence that my future would be as it was!
The title sounds too obvious, but what I hope you will see is that the entire path is what you should be aware of because all that you encounter on your path is leading you toward your future, which might be a future you hadn’t expected.
When I was in college I was dearly connected to someone who was a business major. He had a scholastic learning disability, yet he was intelligent, talented, capable, and humorous. With permission from the university, for him to achieve his BS in Business, I read his material to him, and he dictated his assignments to me (it was all his work; I refused to interject). I was not a business major, although I certainly absorbed all of his studies by osmosis.
We also shared many side-bar conversations during the years of this routine. He wanted to buy a campground. He described it to the max, detail for detail, down to the dangling “T” he envisioned for the logo of his Lazy T Campground (his last name began with a T).
I hadn’t been raised in a camping family, and I’m not fond of spiders, poison ivy, snakes, uncomfortable beds, and sitting on logs. But I listened. I couldn’t fathom having enough money to buy such a place, and if I had it, I knew I wouldn’t spend it on a campground!
Jump forward 5 or 6 years and you’ll find me dating a military officer. One day he took me on an outing to an RV show. He was so psyched about RVs, yet it was a world of which I had zero knowledge. That day I had my first tour of an RV. I can still see me standing there, watching his animated face as he pointed out the galley, TV, and the tiny bathroom. “Wouldn’t it be grand to vacation in one of these?” Vacation? It looked a lot like a home! Where was the room service? The maid to make the bed? The pilot to navigate us to our exotic escape from reality of the work world? Nope. It didn’t excite me at all!
Jump forward 13 more years. I’m married to a man I’d do anything for, and he’d do anything for me. Three years earlier friends of mine had matched us up ~~ at a campground ~~ on a blind date (I wasn’t clued in on it; I thought I was going to a cookout at their seasonal site ~~ my first visit to their campsite). My world changed that night, instantly, forever, and for the better.
Less than 3 weeks into our dating, he said he’d love to buy that campground. I looked at the situation and laughed. He was insane! But 3 years into our marriage, having witnessed his career drudgery and having understood more about his dreams and passions, again, the idea came up, “Let’s buy a campground!”
My faith was much stronger by then, so I looked up and said to God, “OK! I give! Obviously, You want me in the camping industry!” And that began our planning for John to take an early retirement so that we could buy an RV park.
Jump ahead 17 more years. We bought an RV park, I owned it alone for 9 years after he died (he died a year after we bought it). Yes, ME, alone! The one who kept dodging the industry! After selling it, I became an industry consultant, providing assistance to campground owners, association leaders, and industry suppliers.
Sounds rather cut and dry in hindsight but as my life unfolded it wasn’t so cut and dry. It didn’t happen overnight. It came with a lot of hard work and long hours. I began working with associations, visiting with industry leaders, learning from professionals who catered to and supported the industry. I began speaking before other associations and I sat on many committees and Boards in the outdoor hospitality industry and in the tourism industry. I can’t imagine how many conventions and expos I’ve attended, or how many seminars I’ve been in. I began leading seminars, and speaking, and on and on ~~ to where I am today.
One point is: None of this was on my radar when I was taking my college classes (I was pre-med!). I am grateful for the life I’ve had and for the incredible twists and turns it’s taken.
Another point is: I wouldn’t be 1/100th the person I am today had it not been (aside from my faith) for the willingness of others to help pull me up from one level to the next.
Long ago, I was with a friend when a car ahead of us was burning on the side of the road, and we pulled over to offer assistance. That car owner, later, ended up leading me to a new job with a raise in position and pay!
That business student whom I assisted, the one who outlined repeatedly all of the details of his future campground? He introduced me to the gal who set me up on a blind date with the man who became my husband.
That officer who wanted me to vacation via motorhome? He inspired me to become the best I could be at anything I set out to do. Not with the tour of the RV, but with his personality and our friendship. (By the way, my eventual two motorhomes were close replicas to the one he showed me that day!)
Those business classes I absorbed for the college friend? I have used all of that business knowledge in my 25 years of self-employment.
Those professional associations? I’m still working with them. I’m still growing because of them, and I’m still helping others as I was helped. Actually, I’m the executive director of two such associations, helping members understand what associations can do for them and how associations can help pull them up to new levels.
YOUR TAKE-AWAY: If we limit our future by who we are today we are limiting the path to our larger future. Surround yourself with people from whom you can grow or attain better opportunities. Keep your eyes and ears open for those opportunities. They might come in forms you least expect!
Likewise, look around you! If you see someone less able as you at the moment, reach out to pull them up to a new level.
Now by “PULL THEM UP” I don’t mean that you force your ways upon them. No, I mean that you make yourself available to lead by example, and when you see opportunities (such as job openings or love) that you can offer, offer them! (By love, I mean for you to look outside of your professional path. Is there someone in your family, neighborhood or business who could use some one-on-one time from you?)
How is one to grow if they are blocked from joining? How would your life be if all doors for opportunities were closed to you? OK, even if doors were closed, then I encourage you to do unto others as you would have wanted done unto you.
I am eternally grateful to all who have lifted me, or enabled me to lift myself. (If I haven’t told you so, then please take this as me telling you so. Thank you!)
*****
Thank you for sharing your time with me! Please feel free to leave comments, or share or ‘like’ this with your connections.
Mary Arlington / MMCC, Inc.BLOG 
When I was in college, the president of my university was very fond of telling students to learn as much as they can about as much as they can, because their lives will change direction over and over again. He was so right. I started off as a biomedical engineering major swearing Kansas was in my rear-view mirror…and my life is researching and writing about Kansas! Who knew?
That’s a great story! And your professor was right!
I’ve used just about all that my college workload introduced to me ~~ well, except for my trigonometry class!
Excellent advice and one amazing journey! Thanks.
Nice to see you here in my comments. Thank you!