“Not all who wander are lost.” Gordon Livingston, Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart
Have you ever felt lost? It may seem like you are just not fitting in or things around you are moving forward but you are just kind of meandering. So much progress can be achieved by moving in a straight line…towards some goal…with purpose and clarity. But right now, well, that may not be where you are. This moving in a straight line way of living…is it necessary to feel fulfilled?
If we have defined who we are by achievements, awards and getting ahead…it may feel very uncomfortable to meander. Our discomfort might be because we think about wandering or meandering as being lost….and being lost, having no direction is wasting precious time. But as Gordon notes, not all who wander are lost.
Finding our self without a plan or purpose doesn’t mean we stop living…it could mean that a pause is in order…that something is about to be birthed in us that needs some time to organize itself. We might view this time as stepping out of line to regroup, to engage in self-care, to remember what it feels like to slow down and breathe. Time to wander allows us to be aware of the present moment, to look around, to open up, to appreciate, to be grateful, to sit still…it allows us to see what might have been whizzing right by.
Be gentle with yourself when you find that you are wandering or meandering. Choose to know that there is a new possibility rising in you…one that requires stepping out of line. Choose to believe that a new possibility for a greater understanding or a new idea or profound shift is about to be realized. Decide to be okay…in fact, secure…being right where you are.
Peace always
Paula
