"The other day, my friend Elyssa was taking the subway from Manhattan to her home in Brooklyn when a woman entered the car, announcing that the D train was running on the A line track to Elyssa’s stop.

A Transit Authority uniform stretched across the woman’s heavy frame and her smile accentuated her wrinkles and missing teeth. Her seemingly random chatter was annoying, almost a little disturbing. Elyssa considered diverting her attention elsewhere, but there was no one else in the car, nowhere else to direct her gaze.

Because Elyssa is going through some significant changes in her life right now, she’s ultra sensitive to the messages the universe sends her, and as unlikely as it seemed that the universe would be communicating to her through this woman, she put aside her initial reaction and listened.

The woman sat down across from her and said that it was important to take different paths on the subway and familiarize yourself with all of the alternate ways to get to where you want to go. Instead of always taking the F train, try taking the V train, she said. That way if the F train is ever down, you will know the V train can get you to where you want to go and you won't panic.

She said there's never a need to get distraught when a train is down, as usually you can just take a different train and it will get you to the same place. You just have to be willing to experiment on those trains when they are not down so you know your alternate paths. She continued to talk about the different ways you could get from Point A to B that may not be the most direct but will still get you there in the end.

It seemed to be a message indeed; one from which we can all learn. 

As we go through our life’s journey, chances are we’ve taken a certain path that we imagine will serve us through life. For some, it might be family, steadfast faith, education, career, or—most often—a certain “way of being.” How we react to set backs and opportunities may be the same way we’ve reacted all our lives. And even if they don’t serve us well, we rarely investigate alternative paths along the way.

What would our lives be like if we stayed open to whatever unanticipated path that presents itself? What if we listened intently to random messages, put aside our fears and embraced a new way of being?

Seven years ago, Linda Libby and I set off on a path of new opportunities for Tribble Creative Group. When she joined the company as my business partner and Vice-President of Operations, her leadership helped put in place the infrastructure we needed for growth.

She became my associate, my mentor, my confidant and friend. She was always there, steady and logical when my mind or heart was reeling with the surprise of the everyday.

Linda began her career in the hospitality industry in her early 20s. She’s worked very hard and very smart all her life—working her way along her chosen path, working her way up to high-ranking positions of leadership, working her way to Tribble Creative Group to create positive change—but most of all, always working.

Work—fierce, joyful, strategic, intelligent and playful work—has always been Linda’s path. Anyone who has known her or worked with her will attest to her drive. I know that her commitment to the company and reassuring advice over the last seven years has kept me on my journey, even when things seemed bleak.

Sometime recently, I suspect Linda ran into her own Transit Authority attendant and listened to her message clearly. For the first time in her life, she’s testing out a new train—one that makes a few more stops between stations at a less-rushed pace. A local train, instead of express.

At the end of this month, Linda will be leaving Tribble Creative Group. She plans to move back to Maine, to be closer to her family. She’s going to spend some time sailing, visiting with old friends and exploring new places. Instead of working at a job, she’s going to work at being Linda.

There have been more than a few tears as we all consider losing what Linda has brought to us--her tenacious approach to operations, her never-ending curiosity and her laser-like focus. I’ll miss all that, of course, but what I’ll miss most is the friendship and wisdom she brought to me personally.

I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished since Linda came on board. I’m even more proud of that path she has chosen and the thoughtfulness with which she chose it. She’s leaving at a time when Tribble Creative Group has never been stronger in terms of talent, resources and leadership, and we are lucky to have a team ready to move in place to fill the space her departure will bring.

But, no matter how much talent we have to fill her role, there will always be a place in my heart held for the memory of her friendship.

A friend once told me that people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.  The trick is that when you meet them, you never know which of the three it is. With Linda, I don’t have to choose. She came into my life for the reason of bringing growth to my company and me personally during a season of transformation. And she’ll be in my life forever, as a mentor and a friend.

Bon Voyage to you, Linda. May you follow your heart’s path and embrace your discoveries with the same curiosity and purpose that you brought to me."

When we christened our new office space 7 years ago, Linda had been on board about six months. We decided that as part of the ceremony, each employee would place a meaningful item in our meditation room -- it was to be something personal that would bring positive energy to the group. No one knew what the others were bringing. I started off by offering up a seashell, to remind us of the majesty and depth of our consciousness; a bird feather, to stay aware of our vast possibilities; and a rock, to always ground us in our work. After my comments, we moved on to Linda, who looked a little unnerved for a moment. And then, she pulled from her pouch a seashell, a feather and a rock.