If you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths…
Why sometimes the best road isn’t the one everybody else is walking.
There’s a John D. Rockefeller quote that stopped me in my tracks the other day:
“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.”
Now, Rockefeller wasn’t talking about education reform or Pennsylvania politics—but the idea applies perfectly.
Most of us were raised to believe success looked a certain way:
go to this school
get this job
follow this route
check this box
It’s a formula… until it isn’t.
Because real life doesn’t always fit the blueprint.
Sometimes the “accepted” path doesn’t work for your child.
Sometimes the job you’re “supposed” to have isn’t the job that feels right.
Sometimes the safest road is actually the most limiting.
I’ve learned this (sometimes the hard way):
following the crowd rarely leads to new ideas—and never leads to new outcomes.
If I had stayed silent, stuck with what was comfortable, or kept trying to follow the path everyone else said we should walk, my family wouldn’t be where we are today. Bella wouldn’t be in a school that actually fits her needs. Tab wouldn’t have had some of the doors that opened because we pushed, questioned, and—honestly—refused to give up.
And here’s the truth most people won’t say out loud:
Sometimes the old path exists because it benefits the people already on it—not the ones trying to join it.
So what do you do?
You build something new.
You choose the harder road.
You take the side path that isn’t paved yet.
You trust your gut more than someone else’s map.
This isn’t about being rebellious—it’s about being purposeful.
If the old roads worked for everyone, nobody would need new ones.
So whatever you’re working toward—whether it’s raising a kid who thinks differently, starting something from scratch, or just trying to get through another day—don’t be afraid to step off the well-worn trail.
Sometimes the success you’re looking for isn’t ahead—it’s somewhere slightly left of the sign that says “This is how you’re supposed to do it.”
And honestly, that’s where most good things begin.
— Jim