What if the Path Least Travelled was the Path that Brought You Back Home to Yourself?
- Rachelle Innocent
- Aug 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 5
I am unlearning a lot.
In reflecting on pivotal moments and the “cookie-cutter” milestones that many of us experience, I realize I never felt the way I was told I would.
Whether it was graduating from school, starting a career, or navigating personal relationships, I often found myself recognizing the cognitive dissonance between how I felt and what I was told I should feel in response to these moments.
Many of us grew up with narratives that outline the roadmap for happiness, success, and fulfillment. There was a time when I tried to follow these rules in exchange for the emotions my obedience should have granted me.
Unfortunately, those emotions never showed up.
The Decision to Listen to Myself
Rather than accumulate a lifetime of "almost" and regret, I decided to do something different. I chose to listen to myself for a change.
Breaking free from the dogmas that underpin most of our lives was never the hardest part of self-discovery. The most challenging aspect of aligning with my own sense of purpose was dealing with the outcry, dissent, and ridicule for having the audacity to try.
It was the crushing disappointments and unexpected goodbyes. The closed doors and chapters I didn’t realize pursuing inner alignment would introduce.
I felt blindsided by the loss my own rebirth brought into my life—more than I should have, in hindsight.
Understanding the Self-Construct
What I failed to consider is that whoever you are, or are pretending to be right now, that version of you feeds people, places, and situations rooted in your self-construct.
When you dismantle this self-construct and remove your mask, the world you built around it will naturally crumble.
While we can all acknowledge the pain of living a lie that lasts a lifetime, I would be remiss if I didn’t also share that choosing renewal brings pain too.
There are tough conversations you have with yourself and others.
The hard decisions and goodbyes.
The path less traveled often means less company, less support, and fewer accolades. While that may require some adjustment, growing through that transition will change you.
The Journey of Self-Discovery
You’ll start to recognize how much we are shaped by the thousands of choices we make every day.
When it comes to the most radical choice—the one where we choose ourselves—this journey will introduce you to parts of yourself you never knew existed. It will awaken strengths and hidden potential that leave you unrecognizable, especially to those who thought they knew you.
There’s an unspoken bravery and deep-seated courage that comes with standing in your light and owning your truth.
It’s not something anyone can take away from you.
We can choose, and while we still have time, we should choose to listen to ourselves. We are wired to pursue a version of meaning and fulfillment that is uniquely ours to hold.
Rather than sacrifice for a life that was never yours to live, sacrifice to live the life of your own choosing. Rather than suffer disappointment from failing to meet others' expectations, why not avoid the disappointment that comes with self-betrayal?
The Challenges of Choosing Yourself
The path was challenging.
Every day, I am figuring out what still requires unlearning.
Though I express daily gratitude for having made the hard choice, choosing myself was never the wrong choice.
It was the choice that brought me a love that heals.
It was the choice that aligned me with a supportive community.
To the people who protect and empower me.
It’s the reason I found my home—thousands of miles away from where everyone thought it would be.
If my words do anything, assuming you’ve made it this far, I hope they inspire you to choose you, too.
Through the blood, sweat, and tears that will ensue, I hope you realize that there is so much more to discover in life than what you thought you knew.
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