Don’t Wear shoes You Can’t Walk In: About the title lesson

Over the past ten years, “Don’t wear shoes you can’t walk in” is a lesson that has revealed itself to me many times. I first learned it when I borrowed a pair of high heels from a friend for a job interview.

The shoes were not only too high for me, but I began to get blisters before I even made it into the building where I was to be interviewed. As I stumbled and shuffled across the threshold into the hiring manager’s office, I couldn’t help but worry that my clear physical discomfort translated to a visible lack of confidence. I didn’t get that job, and sometimes I wondered if it was because I didn’t put my best foot forward. After all, I could barely put one foot in front of the other. The way we walk says a lot about us—not just our physical presence, but our state of mind. The takeaway here is simple: You should never wear shoes you can’t walk in.

Of course, this lesson speaks to more than just literal shoes. It’s also about being true to yourself and not trying to be someone you are not. If you are wearing shoes you can’t walk in, and thus denying your authentic self, you likely won’t make it where you’re trying to go.

It’s a lesson that sums up so much of the decade that is your twenties. Sometimes people, jobs, and activities won’t fit into your life, but you’ll wish they did. Sometimes other options will look better than what you currently have, but once you obtain them, you realize they aren’t more desirable at all. Over time, you’ll learn that reliability is more valuable than glamour and that knowing yourself is the best way to get where you’re going. Recognizing and recording the lessons of your life can change your path for the better.