Editorial: Way Leads On to Way

In his poem, “The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost explains how he came upon two roads while traveling in a yellow wood. He stood for a long time gazing as far as he could down each one, trying to determine the best route. He finally selected one, thinking that, perhaps, he would come back and take the other another day. Then he concludes, “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.”

Here we are, faced with a new year, followed by a new month, and a new day. Which path will we take? Do we have a choice?

Fate, Destiny, or Free Will?

Are our futures pre-determined? Fate is defined in Webster’s 1999 edition as “the force or power held to pre-determine events.” Whereas destiny is defined as “the inevitable fate to which a person or thing is destined.” Do we have any choice in the matter? What are we to do with this looming span of time before us?

We may not be able to determine everything that happens to us, but we can choose how to respond. A pioneer family lost one of their children to illness. While the father became bitter and cursed God, the mother became softer, full of faith and hope for an eventual reunion. His bitterness hardened his heart. Way leads on to way. We can choose not only how to react but also how we act.

Choices Lead to Consequences

You can choose whether to pick up a stick or not, but once you pick up one end, you also pick up the other. We can choose what to do, but we also reap the direct consequences of that choice. One cannot pick results or consequences that aren’t attached. We get both ends of the stick.

I learned of a man in his 30s who recently died. He had attended a prestigious university and gotten a job while in school. His boss got mad at him. The man retaliated by stealing and was fired. He was overweight but eventually got a job in the northwest as a forest ranger. He continued to overeat and became increasingly obese while also becoming addicted to fentanyl. He could no longer do his job effectively and died of an overdose. One thing led to another, never to return to the point of origin.

A leads to B and B leads to C, with a system of tributary options branching out before us.

Another addict was incarcerated. He knew he needed to change, so in small increments that made a big difference over months and years, he did change for the better. He took classes, worked out physically, and made amends with family members. He gave service wherever he could. He was offered advancements and opportunities. He learned that POOR people Pass Over Opportunities Repeatedly. He took advantage of every opportunity he could. 

He also learned that there is no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone. Way leads on to way, and he is now a much different man than the one who was incarcerated years ago.

Guides to Making Choices

Hippocrates is attributed with saying, “Primum non nocere,” or “First do no harm.” That means not hurting myself or others emotionally, mentally, physically, or financially. That covers many choices. If humanity followed only that counsel, it would prevent a lot of pain and loss.

We can also “Do the next right thing.” That is helpful, though “the right thing” could mean different things to different people. Even so, right has integrity and good intentions. So, even if it looks different under varying circumstances, we can make much progress in 2025 if we do the next right thing.

Another helpful method is to watch your “life movie.” A youth therapist at a program for troubled teens directed her clients to play their movie to the end. She instructed them to make a choice mentally and then watch the movie reel out as “way leads on to way” with the natural consequences of that choice played out. It helped them make smart choices with the results they wanted. 

Which Path to Take?

We may take the wrong path for a while, spending valuable time and resources like Goldilocks, being in the wrong story. We can beat ourselves up for making mistakes or taking a less-than-productive path. Shake yourself off, give yourself credit for learning, and say, “Now I know.”

Matthew Holland tells the story of when he and his father took a road trip. They got lost and, like Robert Frost, faced two options: dirt roads headed in opposite directions. They prayed and got the impression to take one. After only 10 minutes, the road came to a sudden dead-end. Puzzled, Matthew asked, “Why did we feel impressed to pursue this one when it wasn’t right?” His wise father replied, “Because now we can pursue the other with confidence.”

Way leads on to way. Whether you are meandering in a yellow wood, or choosing which career to do, location to live, education to pursue, or partner to be with, proceed carefully, being mindful that it is easier to get into something than get out of it. And when you are confident you are on the right path, proceed with energy and hope. Be kind, do what is right, be mindful of consequences, and learn through the process. May the year 2025 bring you a bright future because you chose it.

– by Karen Munson

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