Two roads diverged in the woods and I took the one less travelled by

"I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, 

And I took the one less travelled by.

And that has made all the difference"

-The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost

This stanza from Robert Frost's iconic poem has probably single handedly defined my life choices. Whenever I have felt the need to do something out of the ordinary and have been apprehensive about possible backlash, this has been my guiding force.

It is of course interesting to note that while Frost talks about the difference that taking the unknown road has made to his life, he does not specify whether they have been positive or not. And it is only reasonable to conclude that all life experiences, irrespective of the path taken, cannot be positive. So is it our endeavour in life to accumulate only positive experiences? Should we be consequently afraid of any possible negative experiences? For even though the road oft travelled does not guarantee positive results, there is some semblance of regularity to it, a certain degree of familiarity to it, which while comforting, can also prove to be quite revolting at times.

While self preservation is instinctive, what is it that makes us yearn to break out of the set path of life? Especially when one knows that there is nothing certain about an unknown path and an unforeseen destiny. When every sane influence in our life cautions us to tread carefully. When it is so much easier to tread the familiar path even if it does not give one any happiness?

Is it the fact that questions like what might have been, what could have been, what should have been and what will not be are too haunting to be left unanswered? Or is it because that the set patterns of one's life are not necessarily suited to one's happiness? 

And what after all is happiness? Are moments of happiness worth enough to risk possible sorrow in the future? Or is it more logical to just live in a plateau where there is neither happiness nor sorrow, where life is dominated by grey and not colours?

Questions galore and answers to none.