The Path Less Travelled

Muppies Toronto kicked off 2015 with a special event titled “The Path Less Travelled,” featuring Bilal Khan (Managing Director of OneEleven) and Grayson Bass (Managing Director at Mayor Wilson).  In this panel, two prominent leaders shared their inspirational stories of how they travelled against the tide, did what many others fear doing, and successfully reached their goals.  They left the 40+ event attendees with some valuable words of wisdom.

Here are 5 key insights from the event.

1. Follow Your Passion:  Ask yourself, “Are you happy? Are you happy with your job, with your career path, or even with your life?”  Bilal shared the story of his dissatisfaction when he was in a corporate role in Toronto: “When I was practicing Corporate Securities on the 71st floor at 1 Canadian Place, I remember looking out of that office window every day.  I would see this heartbeat.  The core of the city, Union Station, was south of me. Every morning, I’d see the blood gushing in, and the city would come to life, and at the end of the day, I’d see that heartbeat contract. I’d never feel like I was part of that system.” If you aren’t happy, do something about it!  Your future is in your hands.
2. Be Curious: The non-traditionalist is always curious. As Grayson put it, “herd mentality and mainstream thoughts will not get you far.” Question the status quo. Be inquisitive and talk to people. This will not only help you identify what you want to do in life but will also help you with planning and executing towards that goal.
3. Create your own “Board of Directors”: Mentors are a big asset. You get to learn from their accomplishments (and their mistakes too). If you don’t have a mentor, try to reach out to people who are masters of their field and ask for guidance. Your goal is to build your own “board of directors” – a network of people that you can depend on for professional advice and support.
4. Know that your end-goal is an evolutionary process: As much as we’d all like to have an epiphany, an “Aha!” moment where everything seems to fall into place and we know exactly the path we want to take, that is rarely the case. The thought – “I don’t know what I want to do with my life/career” may probably creep up – and that’s alright. The key is to redirect your energy and efforts to never give up. Listen to your heart, be curious and talk to people. It will start turning the wheels in your head and can lead you down a path you never realized existed.
5. Don’t discount work-life balance: Everyone needs to keep some level of balance to be able to perform to the best of their abilities. Dedicating yourself 100% to work does not correlate to a 100% chance of success. It’s neither a sustainable nor an effective lifestyle. Grayson suggested that the “the formula for happiness includes time to reflect, time for family and friends, and freedom.”

As you start this New Year, take time to think critically about your current path and your future goals. Where do you see yourself headed?  Is that honestly where you want to be?  As you explore these questions, don’t forget to take advantage of the lessons Bilal and Grayson imparted listed above. We wish you all the best in achieving your goals for 2015!

Written by Saira Rahman, On Behalf of The Muppies Toronto Board

Each month, Muppies features an event hosted by one of our Local Committees. Muppies has Local Committees in various cities across the world. This event occurred in January of 2015 in Toronto. The opinions in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Muppies, Inc.