Paving your own way

I knew this year would be different from the last five - not because of circumstances, but because I chose it to be.

I walked away from what was conventional and predictable to pursue something unfamiliar and, if I’m honest, uncomfortable. And I’m proud of myself for staying the course, even when doubt started whispering questions I didn’t always have answers to. My best friend and my mom often say I have the gift of faith. I’ve always had this quiet, unwavering belief: if God said it, He will do it. It’s that simple to me.

But I’ve realised it’s not that simple for everyone. And that realisation has humbled me. It made me pause and ask - where does this kind of faith even come from?

A gift is something given freely, without earning it. So perhaps this faith is something God intentionally placed in my hands. Maybe He knew I would need it for the life I would one day have to live.

When I decided to leave my job - without a detailed five-year plan or a perfectly mapped-out safety net - I surprised even myself. My only intention was to travel, to breathe, to try something new. But here’s the irony: I am not naturally wired that way.

I’m structured. Responsible. A classic Type A personality who thrives on order and productivity. Rest does not come easily to me. I had to force myself to slow down. I even wrote in my journal: This week you are relaxing. No hustling. No strategising. No planning your next move. Sit down. Breathe. Do what you want, when you want to do it.

And that, in its own way, was harder than any job I’ve ever done.

We’re often told to “lean into the hard thing.” I’ve said it before. But lately, I’ve realised how vague that advice can be.

Leaning requires trust.

When you lean, you shift your weight onto something else. Your balance depends on it holding you up. And when the “hard thing” is uncertain, unfamiliar, or untested - how do you know it can carry you? How do you know it won’t collapse under the weight of your fears, your expectations, your baggage?

The truth is, you don’t.

But something shifts when the hard thing isn’t just ambition - when it’s obedience.

When I say, “God, I’m doing this because I believe You asked me to,” it changes everything. The outcome may still be unclear. The path may still feel unstable. But my footing isn’t actually in the hard thing - it’s in Him. That is faith in action for me. Not the absence of fear. Not the guarantee of results. But the quiet confidence that I will be okay because God is already where I’m going.

Doing something different especially alone, can feel isolating. There are moments when you wonder if you misunderstood the call or overestimated your courage. But there is a hidden gift in that space. Solitude has a way of reintroducing you to yourself. It reminds you of what lights you up. It invites you to fall in love again - with your own thoughts, your own rhythms, your own becoming.

There are things only you have been called to do. No one else can carry that assignment for you.

So when you step out, step out with joy.

When you pave your own way, do it with peace.

And when it feels hard, remember: faith is not about knowing the end result. It’s about trusting the One who does.

And that is more than enough. 🤍

Zola x