Half the careers you admire started as an accident somebody didn’t run from.

Origin stories get tidied up in the retelling, which makes every path look intentional in hindsight. Most began with a substitution, a favor, a job taken for money, and the only decision that mattered was staying with it when it turned out to be interesting. The talent was in not walking away from something unplanned.

When something odd lands in your lap, give it a fair run before deciding it is off track. Say yes to the strange assignment and see what it teaches. A plan is useful, and so is the willingness to be diverted by something better.