I am learning in life something. You might have already worked it out. Or you might have worked it out and then abandoned it, or only – be like Alice from Alice in Wonderland and myself – and give advice but not take it.

What I am learning I will share, something I’m sure you already know: don’t compare yourself to others. The famous Desiderata poem tells us that if we do, we may became bitter or vain.

Jealous or proud: whatever side, neither answer is good.

I can’t answer for you, I can only answer for myself but I know that it’s the same for you, the same for every person on this planet.

The same story: we need to be ourselves.

We will all walk on different journeys, but will never be alone. Someone whose dad was in the circus and whose grandparents, and whose whole collective existence revolves around moody tamed lines and dagwood dogs, may have to one day run away from the circus to the stony walls of a famous English university and study to become a politician.

A guy whose destiny was always going to be to own the family fish and chip shop may skip town and become a minister. The young girl whose mum is a doctor and dad a barrister may become an astronaut – or a knitter.

Whatever it is, we all need to do what we’re called to do.

As you walk away from the familiar and into the new, it might look scary but, as you look back and see your family/friends/entire existence waving goodbye to you, it’s really not that bad: they might be just waving hello to you, representing new friends that you’ll meet.

What’s my point? It’s something abstract and silly, whatever it is. Whatever it is, can’t say it any better than our 400 year old friend Shakespeare did: “Be true to thine own self.”

Do what you have to do. Paint, write, dance, collect stamps, move over to India, sojourn in Paris, forgive, love, bake cupcakes for your neighbour or maybe even bring their bins in one day, play nice on the road, smile, cry and be yourself. That might be laughing more or maybe crying more. It might mean starting a blog or ceasing to read my one. It may mean opening a book you haven’t opened for a long time or trying to dissolve old grudges, like sugar dissolves in boiling water

Who knows? Only you do.