Living unconventionally
There’s a certain kind of freedom that comes with choosing an unconventional life. A life that isn’t dictated by the expectations we’ve been handed, but instead, crafted by our own vision, curiosity, and willingness to step into the unknown.
A couple of years ago, I made the decision to move across the world. To leave behind the version of comfort I had built and exchange it for the unknown. It wasn’t an easy decision, nor was it the kind of choice that society encourages. We’re taught to build security, to follow the well-trodden paths of stability, to find reassurance in familiarity. But deep down, I knew that wasn’t my path.
The thing about forging a life by your own design is that it requires active choice. It’s not enough to dream of a different reality—you have to take small but bold steps towards it. And often, that means choosing discomfort over ease, curiosity over certainty, and truth over expectation. We cannot discover new terrain if we continue walking the same paths. Growth, evolution, and the fullness of life exist in the spaces where we choose differently. And yet, stepping into those spaces can feel daunting. The unknown holds no guarantees. It asks you to trust, to discern, and to move forward despite the uncertainty.
Discernment is key here. Living unconventionally doesn’t mean blindly rejecting structure—it means tuning in, deeply, to what feels true to you. Not what you’ve been told should be true. Not what society has ingrained as ‘the right way.’ But your way. And that takes practice. It takes questioning, recalibrating, and sometimes walking a path alone before others can understand it.
When I decided to move, there were a million voices—both internal and external—that questioned it. Would it be the right choice? What if it didn’t work out? What if I was making life harder for myself? Am I giving up on things I've worked so long to build? But the louder voice, the one that mattered, was the one that screamed: It is better to try and fail than to have never tried at all.
We don’t have to live by default. We don’t have to follow outdated blueprints for a life that doesn’t quite fit. We are allowed to create, shift, and rewrite the rules as we go. But that means choosing it. Choosing to take the first step, even when it feels small. Choosing to say yes to the things that pull us forward and no to the ones that hold us back. Choosing to trust that what is meant for us exists beyond what we already know. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s this: life is not waiting to hand you permission. It’s waiting for you to decide. To step. To create. And that’s the work—the daily, intentional work of crafting a life that is yours, in every sense of the word.
So, if you feel the pull to something different, listen. If the life you’ve been told to live doesn’t feel like yours, question it. And if there’s a small but persistent voice nudging you towards something unknown, follow it.
