Have you ever pondered which direction to take when you’re at a crossroads, not because you’re lost, but because every direction looks promising?
We often associate crossroads with a crisis, confusion, or moments of urgent reckoning. But sometimes, the fork in the road is filled with nothing but possibility. Each path is well lit. Each one leads somewhere worthwhile. The challenge, then, is not choosing right from wrong, but choosing among the choices that are excellent, superb, or outstanding.
That’s where I am right now.
In writing and in life, sometimes we stand on solid ground with the luxury and burden of freedom. We’ve built something, grown something, worked through the tough stuff. And now we get to ask: What’s next?
It sounds like a simple question, but it isn’t, especially when every option is calling your name!
Maybe you’ve been there, too, while you considered several job offers, or homes to move into, or projects to start. Or you’ve stood in front of your own dreams: old ones, new ones, half-buried ones, and asked yourself which one deserves your time and heart next.
The truth is, there’s no map for this kind of decision. Sometimes, we’d love to have a flashing arrow, a divine sticky note, or at least a nudge from a talking animal (wouldn’t that be nice?). But more often, we’re asked to trust ourselves, listen closely, and weigh not just what makes sense, but what makes us come alive.
I’m standing at the crossroads of several creative paths. Continue a series that readers love? And which one of the four? Take a leap into a new genre I’ve secretly wanted to explore? Finish a collaboration that’s already in motion? All good. All worthwhile. All tugging at my sleeve, or actually, my heart.
I can easily juggle two projects, but when I expand to three or more, I’m not managing them as successfully as I imagined I would. I’m terrible at matching real time effort with the effort time I conjure up in my head.
So how to choose?
Some people follow logic, and others, their gut. Some make lists, flip coins, listen to their heart, or sleep on it. I’ve done all of them, sometimes even with success. “They say” choosing a direction doesn’t mean abandoning the others; it just means choosing which dream gets your focus first, and maybe that’s right. It just takes me awhile to get there.
I suppose that’s the beauty of a crossroads. It doesn’t mark an ending; it marks a beginning. The good news is I won’t just stand there. I’ll pick one and move on.
So here’s to the good choices. To the full plates and full hearts. To the scary freedom of having options, and the courage to walk forward with the one that is calling out the loudest, which is what I typically do after a bit of moaning over choices.
Have you found yourself at a crossroads lately? I’d love to hear how you navigated it, or what you’re still considering.
As always, thank you for walking a bit of the road with me.
You keep reading; I’ll keep writing!
PEACH BLOSSOM RETREAT 
Judith A. Barrett 