Our lives very rarely take the paths we think they will. Even if we end up where we planned, we seldom take the route we thought we would. Looking back, it’s sometimes easy to see how a combination of seemingly unconnected chances, events, and decisions led us to where we are (for good or ill), but in the moment we often feel as though we’re flying blind. And then there are the times we’re sure we’ve made the right decision only to look back later and see how wrong or misinformed we were, despite our best efforts.

Professional pet sitter Maria Giaccio always thought she’d work with animals, but didn’t get there the way she thought she would. Join us as we discuss her roundabout route to owning a doggy daycare, reflect on Maya Angelou’s words about knowing and doing better, and remember the importance of having compassion for our past selves.