Even Detours Have Directions
Steps That Didn’t Make Sense, Until They Did

Welcome to Ravi Reflects, a Journal of becoming
I’ve walked paths that didn’t follow any map
From engineering halls to government corridors, from competitive exams to Canadian classrooms : my story has more detours than destinationsBut in hindsight, every step held its own lesson. This space is where I reflect on them- not to teach, but to remember, to feel, and to pass something on.For anyone who's ever asked "Is it too late?" or "Am I the only one feeling lost?" this blog is for you.
Because some journeys don’t make sense until you pause… and look back

BLOG & REFLECTIONS

What If Getting Lost Was the Point?

There was a time I thought I had ruined my timeline.I was in my thirties, watching classmates, old colleagues, and friends find their “track” — the ones with the neat LinkedIn bios, climbing ladders that made sense.
I wasn’t even on the ladder.
I was off to the side somewhere, holding pieces of dreams that hadn’t fit together.Sometimes I told myself I was figuring it out.
Other times, I just felt lost.I Did Everything That “Makes Sense”I did the responsible things.
I studied engineering.
Got a stable job in the private sector.
Then I felt something I didn’t know how to name back then - a kind of quiet panic. Like I was living someone else’s idea of success.So I quit, and aimed higher- towards public service, purpose, the UPSC.
You already know how that story ends for most of us: I gave it years. It gave me nothing I could hold.Then came SSC, a decent post, stability, a government tag.
From the outside, it looked like I had something to show.
But inside, I knew I was slowly becoming a version of myself I didn’t want to be stuck with.So again, I left.
This time, not just the job : I left the country.Starting Over (Again) at 37People don’t talk enough about what it feels like to walk into an MBA classroom at 37.
To look around and realize you’re the oldest, the only one with a résumé that doesn’t flow, and the one person whose presence seems to whisper:
"Isn’t it too late for you?"But here’s the thing no one told me:
That voice isn't your enemy. It’s your test.And when I sat with it, quietly, something shifted.
I wasn’t late.
I was just layered.I wasn't behind.
I was becoming.The Lesson That Took Me 10 Years to LearnI used to think success meant choosing the right path early and sticking to it.
Now I think real growth comes from having the courage to un-choose.It comes from being lost and not rushing to fix it.Because being lost means you’re outside the script.
And that’s where truth often begins.Maybe You’re Not Off Track. Maybe You’re Off-Script.If you’re reading this, and you’ve taken detours...
If you’ve quit things you once believed in...
If your story doesn’t fit neatly in small talk or a résumé summary...I just want to say: me too.And maybe we weren’t lost.
Maybe we were just becoming something that takes longer to name.Maybe the detours weren’t distractions,
maybe they were the actual directions.– Ravi If you have such a story, I would love to read that.