Finding Your Way Back To You
Life is a journey, and the path is not always clear. Each moment blooms with wonder and possibility – but you need to know where to look. The first thing to remember is that you will not find your way by scanning the distant horizon of the future. You need to start walking. Set out along your way, step by step, and keep your eyes peeled for the opportunities that appear. Try to identify your passions, and try to spend more of your time on things that feel meaningful.
Know yourself.
Before you can find your way, you must understand where you are standing. Become conscious of your circumstances, even if you still don't know how to change them. Try to figure out exactly why you feel lost or adrift. Develop the clearest possible picture of your life as it is.
Think about how you spend your time and energy. Look at what you do every day, and try to parse out the things that fulfill you from the things that feel pointless. Think about how you can cut those meaningless activities out of your life.
Try setting these thoughts down on paper. Write about your life, or make a list; draw a chart or map that describes how all of your passions and commitments are connected. You may find that a visual representation helps you understand your situation.
Put yourself in motion.
It can be difficult to find your way when you are scanning the distant horizon for inspiration. Even if you decide upon a path from where you stand at this moment, you will encounter endless forks and diversions along your way. Indeed, your journey will not become real until you've begun moving in a direction – any direction. Break your inertia, and build momentum. There is a good chance that action will make you feel empowered to change other things.
Try something.
Be bold, and take a chance. This does not necessarily mean that you should commit to something huge. Find a small step that you can take to explore your path. Dip your toes into the water, and see how it feels. If you don't like the way that things are developing, you can always switch your focus elsewhere.
Perhaps you've always dreamed of being a musician, but you have no idea how you'd ever get to that point. Try something simple: take a music lesson, and buy or borrow a cheap instrument. Make a commitment to yourself to try it out for a few weeks.
Maybe you feel stuck, and you want to move to a different city. Do something small that feels like a step in that direction: visit a new city to scope it out, or look for jobs and housing in your spare time. Your vision will only become real if you put it into practice.
Start simple.
Your way will fall into place as you walk. The individual steps may feel small and insignificant, but they will build into something powerful if you keep at it. This is the very nature of a way: it does not happen all at once – it is happening all the time. Your way is the sum of every single moment in your life, of all the million things that you do and dream, and there is no map that can show you exactly where you will wind up.
Getting started along your way can be as basic as deciding to try something out. Intention is a powerful thing.
Don't make excuses.
It is easy to say that you're going to do something, but it is not always easy to follow through. Take the initiative, and do not wait. The longer you hesitate, the longer it will take to find your way. Be afraid of stagnation, not of obstacles.
Catch yourself each time that you make an excuse. Learn to recognize the signs: perhaps you plan to do great things, but you give in to self-doubt when the moment comes. Embrace your fears; eat your fears; use them as fuel.
FIND US ON FACEBOOK @ItBeLife
BloggerNet is committed to providing quality content with limited advertising.