Blaze Your Own Trail

An Interactive Guide to Navigating Life with Confidence, Solidarity and Compassion

Berrett-Koehler, 2020

15 min read

9 take-aways

Audio & text

What's inside?

“Blazing your own trail” by making decisions that are right for you sends you on your own unique journey.

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Many women enter adulthood believing only one right path to a successful home and work life exists. Leadership expert Rebekah Bastian explains that this belief blinds young women to unexpected opportunities and makes them feel like failures when life doesn’t go according to plan. In truth, Bastian writes, there is no one right way to live your life. Even negative experiences provide lessons, and no matter which path you take, fulfillment and happiness remain on the table. Her book takes readers on an imaginary journey to illustrate the power and possibilities of “blazing your own trail.”

Summary

In this imaginary journey, you’ll see possible outcomes of several pivotal decisions.

Imagine you are beginning your life journey as an adult. In the following scenarios, you are a white, heterosexual, college-educated female – advantages that mean your experience will differ from those without this head start. You will make choices about your career, a family and where you will live, based on your values and priorities.

Along the way, you will experience some effects of these decisions and gain deeper understanding of how, often, life deals you a different hand than the one you wanted or expected. Additionally, you will have a chance to see different perspectives and appreciate other women’s triumphs and travails.

Approximately one-third of college graduates launch careers immediately; two-thirds explore other options for five to ten years before embarking on a career.

You’ve just graduated from a respectable college with a dual major in math and communications, and the possibilities seem endless. Your best female friend Sam decides to travel for a while before settling down and invites you along. However, the idea...

About the Author

Rebekah Bastian has held leadership positions at Zillow and OwnTrail. She writes and speaks about workplace issues affecting women, including career planning and corporate diversity.

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