{"id":725,"date":"2026-06-02T13:24:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T13:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/?page_id=725"},"modified":"2026-08-16T09:48:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T09:48:37","slug":"talk-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/?page_id=725","title":{"rendered":"Talk Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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That Road to Hana<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Before I tell you the story behind The ShiftPoint\u2122, it helps to understand the Road to Hana. Located on the Hawaiian island of Maui, the Road to Hana is one of the most famous drives in the world.

The route stretches for miles along the island's rugged coastline, winding through rainforests, past waterfalls, across narrow one-lane bridges, and around hundreds of high-cliff curves with no guardrail.

Those who have made it to Hana say it's a tiny resort village that sits at the edge of the sea. There's nothing extraordinary about Hana itself.

In fact, many people say Hana is simply the excuse for taking the drive. But the journey isn't about getting from Point A to Point B as fast as possible.

The real experience is found in the unexpected turns, hidden stops, changing landscapes, and lessons learned along the way.

Looking back, I realize that's why the Road to Hana became the perfect metaphor for life\u2014and ultimately, the inspiration behind The ShiftPoint\u2122.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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The Road We Never Finished<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t

The ShiftPoint\u2122 was born from a road trip that never reached its destination.

Years ago, I took my daughter to Maui and decided to drive that famous Road to Hana. Like many visitors, we rented a white convertible for our time in Maui, and set out from the town of Paia, excited to experience one of the most beautiful drives in the world.

The drive started off as the typical day trip, complete with lush greenery on both sides of a well-paved road with clearly-marked street lanes.

It eventually winds around a few steep curves, crosses over narrow one-way bridges, and passes small, hidden waterfalls before it takes you to breathtaking ocean views, right at the edge of unforgiving sea cliffs.

It's a journey that rewards those who slow down and pay attention. On our first attempt, unfortunately, we knew we were not going to make it to Hana before dark. So we turned around.

The next day, we tried again from the back route. The scenery was completely different. The lush tropical landscape gave way to lava rock and rugged terrain.

But there was a problem. Long stretches of the road were not paved at all - only large, loose gravel for several yards at a time.  That's when I realized we were driving the wrong vehicle for this journey.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n

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Our low-riding convertible wasn't designed for the rough terrain ahead. Every bump scraped against loose gravel.

Every mile increased the chance of damaging the rental car. And every minute we were on that road, the sun inched its way down, reminding us that there are no street lights for miles on end.

And the roadside memorials lined along the cliffs remind travelers that every journey carries risks.

We could have pushed forward, but doing so would have required more time, more money, and more risk than made sense for the situation.

So we turned around. Again. And once again, we never made it to Hana. For years, I occasionally wondered if we should have gone back to try one more time.

However, I realized something important: We did the best with the time we had. And, there was nothing wrong with our vehicle. It just wasn't made for the journey ahead.

We made two good decisions. The first recognized a time constraint. The second recognized a resource constraint. Neither decision was based on fear or giving up.

Both were based on evaluating reality honestly and making the best decision with the information we had. That realization stayed with me because life works much the same way.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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A little about me<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Aloha, I'm Esther May. For decades, I've worked in fields centered around communication, guidance, leadership, and human potential.

I've worked as a journalist, educator, school counselor, recruiter, strategic communications\/public affairs professional, and coach for individuals navigating change.

I've lived overseas, worked with high school and college students, veterans, corporate executives, and people standing at major crossroads in their lives.

Across all of those experiences, I've noticed the same pattern. People rarely struggle because they lack options. They struggle because they don't know which option is right for them.

They're trying to choose a college. A career. A degree program. A business idea. A new chapter. A different future.

And often, they're carrying the weight of expectations from family, peers, culture, or social media while trying to determine what path truly fits their goals, values, and strengths.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n

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Many believe success means pushing forward no matter what. But sometimes wisdom looks different. Sometimes wisdom means recognizing that you're pursuing a destination that no longer fits.

Sometimes it means admitting you're using the wrong vehicle. Sometimes it means choosing a different route entirely. The real failure isn't changing direction.

The real failure is ignoring reality and continuing down a path that no longer makes sense. That's what a ShiftPoint is.

A ShiftPoint is the moment when you pause long enough to ask better questions. Is this still the right path?

Am I doing this because it aligns with who I am\u2014or because it's what others expect?

Do I need to keep going, adjust my approach, or choose a different road altogether?

Those questions have the power to change a life.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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The ShiftPoint\u2122 was created to help young adults and their families navigate those decisions with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Not by telling them what to do. But by helping them discover what fits.

Today, we help individuals explore educational pathways, career options, global opportunities, and life transitions through practical guidance, coaching, educational resources, and community.

Because life isn't a race to Hana, whatever that might be for you. It's a journey filled with unexpected turns, changing conditions, and opportunities you never anticipated.

And sometimes the most important destination isn't the one you originally planned to reach. It's the person you become along the way. \ud83c\udf0a

The ShiftPoint\u2122
Clarity. Direction. Execution.

Because new horizons begin when you're ready for more.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFind my ShiftPoint<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

That Road to Hana Before I tell you the story behind The ShiftPoint™, it helps to understand the Road to Hana. Located on the Hawaiian island of Maui, the Road to Hana is one of the most famous drives in the world. The route stretches for miles along the island’s rugged coastline, winding through rainforests, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ocean_front_end_style_editor":"no","ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-725","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=725"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":869,"href":"https:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/725\/revisions\/869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theshiftpoint.life\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}