Not long ago, on my way to a meeting in Amsterdam, I mistakenly boarded the wrong train. I got lost in thoughts about my overwhelming schedule of work, and travel, of how to take care of my beautiful granddaughter, all of those “to do’s”. Those thought patterns that normally steal us away from the present moment, making us to over think the future that we do not have control over. As I sat on that “wrong” train, little did I know that, I was about to embark on a journey far different from what I had planned—a journey inward, propelled by an innocent mistake.

As the train glided away from the platform, a creeping realization dawned on me, a surge of panic welled up inside me: OMG, I was on the wrong train! My mind raced with thoughts of missed meetings and derailed plans. But as the train chugged along, slicing through the lush Dutch countryside, something within me began to shift. The initial fear ebbed away, replaced by an unexpected wave of relief. It was as if life had forcibly hit the pause button, giving me a much-needed respite from the relentless pace of my daily routine.

Gazing out of the window, I saw children playing in a field, their laughter distant but infectious. It struck me then how distant I had become from such simple joys, caught up in a web of deadlines and responsibilities. In that moment, I felt a pang of vulnerability – an acknowledgment of my own limitations and the often-unrealistic expectations I placed on myself.

As the journey unfolded, each station a reminder of my detour, I felt layers of stress and self-imposed pressure peeling away. I turned to my copybook, my faithful keeper of my thoughts, the place were I “empty my head”, as I affectionately call it. Pouring my thoughts and feelings onto the pages, words flowed, mingled with reflections and newfound insights. The act of writing, usually a structured task in my world, transformed into a cathartic release. It was as if the wrong train was leading me on the right path, urging me to embrace life’s uncertainties. As I wrote into my gratitude and discovery copybooks, I put on my headphone and listened to motivational speakers and thoughts who inspire me.

With every motivational talk I listened to, hope kindled within me. I realized that mistakes, often seen as obstacles, could be the steppingstones to something greater, something profoundly liberating. This journey was teaching me to find hope in unexpected places, to find strength in vulnerability.

A few hours later, by the time the train had taken all of the detours and finally got on the platform of Amsterdam central station, I felt rejuvenated. I stepped off the train in a different state of being/mind. It was a reminder that sometimes, in our vulnerabilities and detours, we find our most profound strengths and deepest wells of hope.