“Treatment is not a straight line.” —Dr Dorsey
“Life is not linear, it’s
organic. We create our lives symbiotically as we explore our talents
in relation to the circumstances they helped to create for us.” –Ted Talk,
Sir Ken Robinson
As I was finishing the second three-week
treatment schedule towards cancer remission, the access port for the chemo
which was imbedded in my right chest became infected. My care team determined that it needed to be
removed and treated immediately before the infection spread to my blood
stream. An arm PICC was also installed
in my left arm muscle to facilitate the remaining four treatments in the four-month
fight.
Afterwards, the lead oncologist in my
care team noted that “the path to treatment is not a straight line.” My reply was that “Actually, in the greater
scheme of things, life isn’t a straight line either. We always encounter detours and dead ends!” Now that the treatments successfully eliminated
the cancer cells, I’ve had more time to reflect and realize that much has been
written and studied about the options of taking a straight versus organic path
in life.
I’ve learned that a “straight" life
path
is a structured, linear, and goal-oriented trajectory, while an "organic"
life path embraces nonlinearity, curiosity, and adaptability. It allows for
pivots, detours, and personal evolution based on what feels authentic rather
than a predetermined plan. This approach treats life less like a ladder to climb and
more like a garden to tend. It embraces detours, failures, and reinvention.
“Most people find themselves living a
blend of both—starting with structured foundations and naturally branching into
more organic, intuitive directions as they grow older.” There’s a lot to be said for walking a
traditional labyrinth. Through viewing
life as a labyrinth, we integrate the cyclical nature of turning outwards and
turning inwards as we move closer to the Heart which is the hub of the
authentic life.
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