Alternate lives and parallel universes | #35

Are you living your fullest life... or not?

Hi Friends,

I will admit, I couldn’t write this one as well as I’d have liked and ended up relying quite a bit on ChatGPT to get me across the line. The notion of different paths is something I think about quite a lot and want to share some thoughts with you!

Over lunch one of my friends who is a seasoned investment professional said he had considered being a marine biologist. This revelation sparked a conversation about alternate lives and parallel universes—a moment of contemplation amidst the clinking of glasses and the aroma of Sunday roast. As we sat around the table, each of us pondered what we might pursue if we did not end up in our current paths.

The venture capitalist said he’d be in some sort of politics or policy job, while the bizdev friend dreamed of being professional taster, the would-have-been-marine-biologist-turned-financier also revealed a passion for culinary arts, and the other private equity guy mused about life as a niche professor in a topic like history. His girlfriend imagined she’d be a school teacher of some sort.

When it came to my turn I panicked. Not because I didn’t have something interesting to say but because that conversation made me realise I was living the life I wanted to live, in all its fullest ways. I didn’t have a desire for a life that wasn’t mine. I’d dug deep into my truth, I’d explored the boundaries of my interests and I’d built a life dictated by curiosity, honesty and community around the things that mattered most to me.

While most of the group stayed the course of someone who’d graduated from business school by pursuing careers in private equity, venture capital, business development, sales I took the very alternate route. I veered off course from the business school life and sought out opportunities that resonated with my soul. My journey began with training as a yoga teacher, then going into massage therapy for the body and the face, taking half a year sabbatical to paint, building art installations for the Burning Man community, and diving into the life of a hippie spirituality girl.

Leaving my corporate job behind in 2021, I embarked on a journey marked by flexibility and autonomy. Joining an early-stage startup with a remote-first culture, I found myself liberated from the constraints of traditional office life. Collaborating with colleagues across time zones, I embraced a results-driven approach that prioritised output over facetime.

This lifestyle took me from the bustling streets of New York to Mexico and Costa Rica to spend quality time with key people and communities. Balancing work with personal passions, I found solace in rituals that nurtured my well-being—yoga, sauna sessions, and daily cycling. I painted, massaged people, freelanced, and did all sorts in the pursuit of things I thought were interesting. I just keep up regular things like putting money aside every month, making small bets as an angel investor, and showing up to be a part of my community. 

I found contentment in the simple pleasures like going to yoga every week, having regular sauna sessions with friends, writing regularly, walking and cycling. Yes, London's weather may be unpredictable, but it serves as a reminder to savour the warmth of community and the beauty of each moment. Surrounded by like-minded souls and fueled by curiosity and creativity, I've come to realise that true fulfilment lies not in chasing different lives but in setting intentions for the one we are living and embracing the richness of it.

My days are a blend of creativity, entrepreneurship, and self-care rituals. I feel myself living the fullest and best version of my life, it isn’t talked about or celebrated, it isn’t put on a pedestal, it is just me living, breathing and celebrating the regular moments.

In the tapestry of existence, we are the weavers of our destiny—each thread a reflection of our choices, passions, and values. As I navigate the ever-changing landscape of life, I am guided by the wisdom of experience and the boundless potential of the human spirit. It is not the destination that defines us, but the journey itself—a journey filled with abundance, joy, presence and the infinite possibilities of the soul.

I don’t want another life, I want mine in all its fullness and glory!
Caryn