When was the last time you took a good look at a map? I find maps fascinating because they show the world from a different perspective. My eyes can pass over entire mountain ranges or continents in a blink. The most important reason to look at a map, however, is to identify 2 places: Where I am, and where I am going.
How do you get to Chicago if you don’t know where you are? If you are in Cleveland you may want to travel west by car. If you are in Milwaukee you would probably travel south and may want to take a boat (the time you have to get to your goal matters as well). If you are in Vancouver, you would travel east and most likely by plane.
It is also important to know where you are going. You may have heard the quote: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there”. There is a better explanation of this idea in a dialogue between Alice and the Cheshire cat from Lewis Carrol’s masterpiece:
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where—” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
“—so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”
You need to know where you are as well as where you are going. Both are equally important to begin. Once you’ve begun, where you are going becomes incredibly important on its own. So… what does this mean for you, today? I’ll make that clearer for you.
Most of the people I speak with on a daily basis don’t know where they are OR where they are going. It is terrifying for me to think of being completely lost. If you don’t know what your current limits are or what your current debt is or what the problems in your relationships are… You will not know how which direction to move in because you don’t know where you are. If you don’t have any dreams or hopes or have let those hopes and dreams die… you will not be going in the direction you really need to go to find fulfilment in life.
The Good News
Even if you are completely lost there is hope! All you need to do is discover where you are and where you are going. How do you find out where you are? It can help to find someone who knows you well or is willing to get to know you well, but most importantly you need to work to discover who you are. It is important to note that this will take time and energy. You need to become comfortable with yourself. This may be free and it may cost money. Do whatever you need to do in order to know yourself! As you work on getting to know yourself you will discover that you are amazing! It will begin to be fun to get to know yourself after you move through the fear.
Next, you need to discover where you are going. What are your dreams and passions? What motivates you? What did you want to be when you were little? All of these answers will begin helping you discover where you are going. If you need help you can always take a look at the post I provided about how to discover your why.
Most people I know live with a large amount of daily stress. Is this you? Most of the people I know who are relaxed know themselves well. In other words: Most people who are relaxed know where they are and where they are going. Wouldn’t it be comforting to be able to hope and dream because you know where you are and where you are going? When you do, you will begin to find you can see your life almost as a map. Your eyes can pass over your entire life in a blink with confidence because you have a road map to your own success!
