I wanted to be a veterinarian and go to school in Boston. It

Sunita Williams, daughter of the stars and voyager of the seas and skies, once reflected on her path with these words: “I wanted to be a veterinarian and go to school in Boston. It didn’t quite work out that way, and I ended up joining the Navy as a suggestion of my big brother. It was really awesome—and I didn’t realize it at the time—but provided a lot of leadership and followership teamwork opportunities.” In these words we hear the song of destiny, a tale of plans altered, of unexpected turns, and of how life, in its wisdom, often leads us where we most need to go.

The origin of her reflection lies in her own journey. As a young woman, Williams had a heart inclined toward healing and care; she wished to be a veterinarian, to tend to the lives of animals. Yet fate, through the counsel of her brother, set her instead upon the waters of the Navy. What seemed a detour became a path of transformation. In the Navy she found not only discipline but the crucible of teamwork, where she learned both to lead and to follow. This path, unexpected and unplanned, prepared her for even greater journeys—to the heavens themselves as an astronaut. Her story reminds us that the designs of our youth, though noble, are not always the final script of our lives.

History offers many such examples. Consider the life of Abraham Lincoln, who as a boy wished only to study law and live in quiet labor. Yet his road carried him into politics, through heartbreak, and finally into the furnace of civil war, where his lessons in humility and perseverance became the foundation of his leadership. Or think of Florence Nightingale, who resisted her wealthy family’s plans for her, only to find her calling in the suffering of soldiers during war. Like Williams, they did not walk the straight road of their first desire; they found their greatness in paths revealed through duty and necessity.

The deeper meaning of Williams’ words is that leadership is not always chosen but often forged. One may enter the Navy—or any calling—without realizing the gifts it will demand or awaken. To lead is to take responsibility, but to follow is equally vital, for no leader is strong who has not first learned to serve. In the Navy, she discovered that both roles are sacred: that to guide and to be guided are woven into the fabric of teamwork, and that greatness is not the triumph of the individual, but the harmony of many moving as one.

Her reflection also reveals that what we see as disappointment may be preparation. She did not become the veterinarian she once dreamed of being, but the lessons of discipline, teamwork, and service shaped her for her eventual voyage to space. There, aboard the International Space Station, she needed precisely those skills: to work as part of a crew, to follow mission protocols, to lead when required, and to trust others with her very life. Thus, what seemed a detour was in truth the exact road she needed.

The lesson for us is powerful: do not despair when your plans do not unfold as you imagined. Life often conceals gifts in the very places we least expect them. Every path, whether chosen or given, contains opportunities to grow in leadership, service, and teamwork. If we embrace them with humility, we will find ourselves prepared for destinies far greater than our first dreams. The seed of greatness is not in rigid plans, but in the openness to learn from whatever path life offers.

Practical action lies within reach. When life changes direction, walk it with faith, not bitterness. If you are placed in a team, practice both leading and following with grace. Seek always the common good, not only personal glory. And when setbacks come, remember that they may be shaping you for heights you cannot yet see. For, as Sunita Williams reminds us, the unexpected paths may be the very ones that carry us to the stars.

Thus her words, humble yet profound, endure as a teaching for generations: destiny is not always what we plan, but what we prepare ourselves to embrace. And in the discipline of service, in the humility of followership, and in the courage of leadership, we find the strength to rise—sometimes higher than we ever dreamed.