In my very first blog, I shared how I used to be an intense planner. My life was filled with checklists, calendars, and detailed roadmaps that stretched out weeks, even months, ahead. There was a certain comfort in knowing exactly where I was going, how I would get there, and what each step would look like. Planning, for me, was a shield against the unknown.

However, life, as it often does, had other ideas. I began to realize that maybe planning every little detail wasn’t always the best thing. Life has a way of surprising us, and sometimes, we need to make space for the unexpected.

After high school, I had a clear vision of what I wanted my future to look like. I had one goal that I built my dreams around: to get into Med school. Everything was mapped out, the exams I needed to pass, the preparations I had to make, the steps I would take to reach my goal. For years, I followed this plan with a huge determination, believing it was the only path for me.

Eventually, I didn’t get into medical school. The future I had envisioned for myself, the one I had poured years of hard work into, slipped away in an instant. I remember feeling angry, sad and disappointed, blaming everyone around me and even myself for what felt like a personal failure.I had spent so much time building my life around one dream, and now that it was gone, I felt like I had lost myself too.

In the days that followed, I found myself asking questions I didn’t have answers to: What now? What is my purpose? The career I had worked so hard for was no longer an option. I was standing at a dark path, staring into the unknown. Should I hold on to that dream and keep trying despite the odds? Or should I let it go and find a new path? The uncertainty felt like a weight I wasn’t ready to carry.

This was one of the hardest moments I’ve faced. But as time passed, I realized something important: failure, while painful, isn’t the end of the road. In fact, it’s often the beginning of something entirely new.

And here I am, still standing. Still growing.Still learning. The journey has been anything but predictable, but I’ve come to embrace its twists . I’ve had my fair share of failures, and there will certainly be more to come. But what I’ve learned is that at the end, there’s always the possibility of success, that there is always light at the end of that dark path,and that the future often hides better things than we could ever plan for.

If you’re reading this and feel like your plans are falling apart, know that you’re not alone. The unknown can feel like you’ve lost your direction, like you don’t know where to go next. But trust me ,there’s a lot of power in embracing it.

So, here’s my advice to you, especially if you’re feeling lost or uncertain: embrace the discomfort. Not having all the answers doesn’t mean you’ve lost your way. Sometimes, the path you’re meant to walk isn’t the one you’ve planned. It’s the one that unfolds when you least expect it.

Let go of the need for certainty, and remember that the unknown is full of potential. It’s where you’ll find the courage you didn’t know you had, the strength to move forward. And above all, believe that there’s always a new opportunity just around the corner , one that may be even more beautiful and fulfilling than the plan you had in mind.

So let’s embrace the unknown together. It’s not the end of the story, it’s the beginning of a brand new chapter.

With love

Shay