Life was never meant to be a straight line. I think that’s something many of us grow up believing, though. That there’s a path we’re supposed to follow. A road that leads neatly from one stage to the next, everything making sense, everything falling into place exactly as planned. But life doesn’t really work like that, does it? If anything, it’s more of a zigzag.
Twists and turns, unexpected detours, moments where you think you’re heading one way and suddenly find yourself somewhere completely different. And sometimes, those are the very moments that shape you the most.
When I look back on my own life, it’s definitely not been a straight line. Moving to Portugal as a child, losing my mum far too young, all the different paths I’ve taken with work, creativity, writing… the dream I had of becoming a mother that never came to be. None of it followed a neat, predictable route.
And yet, here I am. Living a life that, while not what I once imagined, feels very much like my own.
That’s the thing about zigzags. At the time, they can feel confusing, even frustrating. You question where you’re going, whether you’ve taken a wrong turn, whether you should somehow find your way back to that imagined “straight road”.
But what if the zigzag is the path? What if we’re not meant to stay on that one road at all?
What if we’re supposed to wander off, explore, take chances, follow curiosity, and see where it leads us? Because that’s where the real moments happen. The unexpected ones. The exciting ones. The ones where you stumble across people, places, and experiences you might never have found if you’d stayed safely on course.
This whole A to Z challenge has felt a bit like that too, if I’m honest. From talking about flaws and kindness, to hormones and overthinking, to quiet moments, wonder, and even a bit of silliness… it’s been a journey through all the different parts of life that don’t always follow a straight narrative.
And maybe that’s the point. Life isn’t meant to be neat. It isn’t meant to be perfectly planned. It’s messy, unpredictable, sometimes difficult… but also full of beauty, connection, growth, and those little moments that make it all worthwhile.
So perhaps instead of trying to straighten everything out, we should embrace the zigzag. Lean into it. Trust it. Because that winding, unpredictable path… is where the magic really happens.
This is something I touch on in my book too — that idea of embracing life as it unfolds, trusting your own journey, and finding meaning in the unexpected. If that resonates, you can find it on Amazon and if you google The Enchanted Midlife by Suzy Turner, you will also find it on numerous other online bookstores (it’s available as an ebook AND a paperback—and in Portuguese too!).
If you’re taking part in the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year, let me know in the comments so I can check out your posts. And if you’d like to catch up on the rest of mine, you can find some of them here: A is for Alchemy, B is for Becoming, C is for Cycles, D is for Disillusionment, E is for Energy, F is for Flaws, G is for Grumpy, H is for Hormones, I is for Intuition, J is for Joy, K is for Kindness, L is for Laughter, M is for Midlife, N is for Nourish, O is for Overthinking, P is for Purpose, Q is for Quiet, R is for Rubbish, S is for Silly, T is for Today, U is for Unwind, W is for Wonder, X is for Xenia
