Daring Boldly: Lessons from Taking the Less Traveled Road to Success
大胆尝试少走弯路的成功经验
We all arrive at a fork in the road of life. What will your path hold?
我们都会走到人生的岔路口。你的人生道路将会如何？
照片由 Justin Luebke 在 Unsplash 上拍摄
Life is Like a Cross-Country Road Trip
生活就像一次越野旅行
It’s an adventure filled with joy and peril as we journey from point to point, discovering new and fascinating people and places along the way. No worthwhile trip is complete without the challenge of a few unexpected detours or bumps in the road.
这是一次充满欢乐和危险的探险，我们从一个点到另一个点，沿途发现新的、迷人的人和地方。没有一些意想不到的弯路或颠簸，就没有一次完整的旅行。
Travel long enough and sooner or later you’ll come to a fork in the road. It’s a place where you get to choose your own adventure from many paths, ranging from the mundane to the wildly impractical.
I traversed a treacherous road after the end of my first marriage. In the space of a year life became a wild, unpredictable ride. During that time, I:
第一次婚姻结束后，我走过了一条险恶的道路。在一年的时间里，生活变得狂野而不可预测。在那段时间里，我
- Left a secure corporate job
离开安稳的公司工作 - Opened a business 开业
- Got divorced 离婚
- Became a single mom 成为单亲妈妈
- Lost a home and a car
失去房屋和汽车 - Sold a business 出售企业
- Picked up the pieces and started over
收拾残局，重新开始
Starting over with two young children in my mid-30’s was a daunting task. Practicality ruled the day when keeping food on the table and a roof over our heads was the only goal.
在我 30 多岁的时候，带着两个年幼的孩子重新开始是一项艰巨的任务。当我们把维持温饱作为唯一目标时，实用主义占据了主导地位。
After the divorce I went to work for the man who bought my business. The hours were long and the pay was scandalously low. There was some kind of mean-girl drama unfolding at any given time.
离婚后，我为买下我生意的人工作。工作时间长，工资低得吓人。随时都会上演一些刻薄女孩的戏码。
The divorce battered my self-esteem, and it kept me stuck in that awful environment for eight long years.
离婚打击了我的自尊，让我在那个糟糕的环境中困了八年之久。
An Unexpected Wakeup Call
意外的警钟
Three years into my eight-year journey a wakeup call arrived in the form of an unlikely mentor. After a particularly dramatic afternoon that had me dashing from the office on the verge of tears, our business consultant pulled me aside. “You’re better than all of this.” He said, making a sweeping gesture with his hands for emphasis.
在我走过八年创业历程的三年后，一位不太可能成为我导师的人给我敲响了警钟。在一个特别戏剧化的下午，我从办公室冲出来，眼泪都快掉下来了，我们的业务顾问把我拉到一边。"你比这一切都好。他说着，用手做了一个扫视的手势以示强调。
He was painfully direct when he told me to stop wasting my time. His advice: Go back to university and get my MBA so I could get out of the unstable, low paying work environment I had become uncomfortably accustomed to.
他直截了当地告诉我，不要再浪费时间了。他的建议是回到大学去，拿到工商管理硕士学位，这样我就可以摆脱不稳定、低薪的工作环境，我已经习惯了这样的生活。
I smiled, nodding in weak agreement; I was sure the conversation would be forgotten by his next visit.
我微笑着点点头，表示微弱的同意；我相信在他下次来访时，我们的谈话就会被遗忘。
Turns out, my mentor had an iron-clad memory. Whenever he showed up at the office, he would pop his head through my doorway to ask, “Have you found an MBA program yet?”
原来，我的导师有着铁一般的记忆力。每当他出现在办公室时，都会从我的门口探出头来问："你找到MBA项目了吗？"
His persistence wore down my resistance. I researched degree programs, hoping my self-appointed mentor would eventually stop bugging me.
他的坚持消磨了我的抵抗力。我研究了学位课程，希望我这位自封的导师最终能停止对我的纠缠。
Once I began exploring options, a funny thing happened; I started getting excited about the future. I felt a growing sense of empowerment fueled by the idea that I had opportunities. Maybe I had a say in my future after all.
一旦我开始探索各种选择，有趣的事情就发生了；我开始对未来感到兴奋。在 "我有机会 "这一想法的推动下，我感到自己的能力在不断增强。也许我终究对自己的未来有发言权。
Arriving at the Fork in the Road
到达岔路口
I narrowed my degree options to two interesting paths. One was a highly recommended MBA program. The other was a more unconventional option; a degree in holistic health education.
我将学位选择范围缩小到两条有趣的道路。一个是强烈推荐的 MBA 课程。另一个则是更非传统的选择：整体健康教育学位。
I had arrived at the fork in the road. It was time to choose between taking the tried-and-true path or daring to brave new, uncharted territory.
我来到了岔路口。是时候选择走一条久经考验的道路，还是勇敢地去探索未知的新领域。
Both options were expensive and required student loans to cover the tuition. Both also demanded a willingness to sacrifice most of my free time for the next few years.
这两种选择都很昂贵，需要学生贷款来支付学费。这两种选择还要求我愿意牺牲未来几年的大部分空闲时间。
Logic dictated the MBA was the safest route. It ticked all the right boxes for potential employers and would have the best odds of getting me back into a ‘real job’. It made perfect sense and my future would be clearly mapped out for me.
从逻辑上讲，MBA 是最安全的途径。它能满足潜在雇主的所有要求，也最有可能让我重新找到一份 "真正的工作"。这完全合情合理，我的未来也将清晰地规划出来。
There was one small problem; I felt inexplicably drawn to the holistic health education program. On a gut level there was something about this less-traveled path that called to me. Where the MBA felt cold and almost clinical, the health education program felt warm and welcoming, like coming home.
有一个小问题：我莫名其妙地被整体健康教育计划吸引住了。从直觉上讲，这条少有人走的路对我有某种吸引力。工商管理硕士给人的感觉是冷冰冰的，近乎临床，而健康教育课程给人的感觉则是温馨的，就像回到了家。
The unconventional road beckoned to me. After many sleepless nights bouncing back and forth between my options, I chose to follow my gut. Three weeks later I was sitting in my first class as part of a holistic health education cohort. The journey had begun.
非传统之路在向我招手。经过无数个不眠之夜在各种选择之间来回徘徊之后，我选择了跟随自己的直觉。三周后，我作为整体健康教育小组的一员，坐在了我的第一堂课上。旅程开始了。
I’d be lying if I said it was an easy journey. I spent four years working a full-time day job while attending classes in the evening. Despite the challenging circumstances, I loved every moment of the program.
如果我说这是一段轻松的旅程，那是在撒谎。我花了四年时间，白天做全职工作，晚上上课。尽管环境充满挑战，但我热爱这个项目的每一刻。
The passion I felt for my coursework gave me the energy to show up week after week. I credit that passion and interest with helping me stay the course for the entire four-year period.
我对课业的热情给了我周而复始的动力。我认为这种激情和兴趣帮助我在整个四年期间坚持了下来。
What I Found on the Unconventional Path
我在非常规道路上的发现
When I embarked on my journey, I never anticipated how well the less-traveled path would turn out. The courses were thought-provoking and I had exposure to new ideas that forever changed my worldview. I picked up new soft skills, like leadership and group facilitation which help me thrive in my professional and personal life.
当我踏上旅程时，我从未预料到这条少有人走的路会有如此好的结果。课程发人深省，我接触到的新思想永远改变了我的世界观。我学到了新的软技能，比如领导力和小组协调能力，这有助于我在职业和个人生活中茁壮成长。
My unconventional choice had an unexpected bonus; It led me to greater meaning and purpose which in turn boosted my confidence. My newfound confidence, paired with my degree, gave me the courage to reenter the corporate world.
我不走寻常路的选择带来了意想不到的收获：它让我找到了更大的意义和目标，这反过来又增强了我的信心。新发现的自信加上我的学位，给了我重新进入企业界的勇气。
After two successful years in my first role, I was invited to an interview for a leadership role with a much larger company. As I prepared for the interview, I worried what the interviewers would think of my unusual degree and background.
在第一个职位上成功工作两年后，我应邀参加了一家规模更大的公司的领导职位面试。在准备面试的过程中，我担心面试官会如何看待我不同寻常的学历和背景。
During the interview, the panel said my holistic health education degree intrigued them. I got the job and later found out my degree was a factor that elevated me above the other candidates I interviewed against.
面试时，面试小组说我的整体健康教育学位让他们很感兴趣。我得到了这份工作，后来发现我的学位是让我超越其他面试者的一个因素。
It’s All About the Journey
旅程就是一切
Would the MBA have delivered me to a similar destination? Most likely, yes.
MBA 会把我送到类似的目的地吗？很有可能，是的。
Sometimes the journey– the people and scenery we encounter on the road — makes the difference. Following my gut felt like a huge risk at the time but I found a new perspective on health, happiness and work along the way.
有时，旅途--路上遇到的人和风景--会让我们与众不同。当时我觉得跟随自己的直觉是一种巨大的冒险，但一路走来，我对健康、快乐和工作有了新的认识。
The less-traveled path took me to a career that resonates with my purpose and gives me a sense of meaning and fulfillment that so many people don’t get in their work lives.
这条少有人走的路把我带到了一个能与我的目标产生共鸣的职业，给了我一种意义和成就感，这是很多人在工作生活中无法获得的。
My unconventional education helps me see conventional business challenges in a way that goes beyond common business logic. I often refer to my studies around Eastern healing modalities, like Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and energy work — healing systems that see everything as interconnected; mind, body, spirit and environment.
我所接受的非传统教育帮助我以超越一般商业逻辑的方式看待传统商业挑战。我经常提到我所学的东方治疗方法，如传统中医、阿育吠陀和能量疗法--这些治疗系统认为万事万物都是相互关联的，包括心灵、身体、精神和环境。
I’m acutely aware of how everything we do as a team and a company has a ripple effect beyond the individual. The holistic health program also had a deep focus on coaching and communication. The techniques I picked up in those classes help me navigate the corporate world in a variety of situations.
我清楚地意识到，作为一个团队和公司，我们所做的一切都会产生超越个人的连锁反应。整体健康课程也非常注重辅导和沟通。我在这些课程中学到的技巧帮助我在各种情况下驾驭企业世界。
Lessons From the Unconventional Path
非常规之路的启示
When I chose the unconventional, holistic health education path I had no idea how it would transcend the wellness space to find relevance in the often-rigid, and not very holistic corporate world.
当我选择非传统的整体健康教育道路时，我并不知道它将如何超越健康领域，在往往僵化且不太整体的企业世界中找到相关性。
Arriving at the fork in the road can be overwhelming. There is pressure, whether self-imposed or from friends and family, to choose the ‘right’ path.
走到岔路口会让人不知所措。无论是自我施加的压力，还是来自朋友和家人的压力，都要求我们选择一条 "正确 "的道路。
I learned that even though the proven path is often the safe choice it’s important to explore whether it’s really your best option. Life offers no guarantees and sometimes the safe path doesn’t work out.
我明白了一个道理，即使被证明的道路往往是安全的选择，但重要的是要探索它是否真的是你的最佳选择。生活没有保证，有时安全的道路并不奏效。
You may find the unconventional road is the one that takes you to heights you’ve never dreamed of — and the view from that place is pretty awesome.
你可能会发现，这条不寻常的路会把你带到梦寐以求的高度--而那里的景色也非常棒。
In the end, you — and only you — will travel your chosen path. Countless factors go into choosing which road you’ll take. But if you feel the irresistible tug of the unconventional path, don’t be afraid to explore what lies there. You never know where the road may take you.
最终，你--也只有你--将走在自己选择的道路上。选择哪条路的因素不计其数。但是，如果你感觉到非传统道路的不可抗拒的吸引力，不要害怕去探索那里的一切。你永远不知道这条路会带你走向何方。
I’m Kim Conrad Moore, a health educator and trainer, writing about life, love, travel and wellness. I’m a mom to two kids and four dogs and am navigating life between two continents with my handsome Australian hubby. You can find my stories on medium @kimconradmoore.
我是金-康拉德-摩尔（Kim Conrad Moore），一名健康教育家和培训师，撰写关于生活、爱情、旅行和健康的文章。我是两个孩子和四条狗的妈妈，和我英俊的澳大利亚老公一起在两大洲之间游走。您可以在 medium @kimconradmoore 上找到我的故事。
