My faith plays heavily (100%) in my response so since you do not want religion to enter into the discussion I cannot offer any answers... except to say that Frost's poem "The Road Less Traveled" is meaningful. Where two roads diverge and we make our decision to travel down one path over the other, there are always consequences.
In backpacking or hiking: My goal might be to hike from one shelter to another, however if I see a foal or a small herd I will probably go off trail for a while or an hour, or the rest of the day until I need to set up camp. I am positive that there are prayers of thanks along the way (I always feel closer to God when on mountains) and if no one is around...probably a song/hymn or two or many. I could get lost, the old dog get hurt, I might have a heart attack, but the adventure would always be memorable. Is it destiny that I might take the path less traveled? It is what it is.