“I’m not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.”

~ A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

In the spirit of honesty, I must admit I am horrible with directions. Maps do little to alleviate the stress of getting from point A to point B when I am en route to a new destination. The reason for my stress is quite simple: I am terrified of getting lost.

I am scared of getting lost, because I like knowing where I am. I am afraid if I take a wrong step, hop on a wrong bus, or turn a wrong corner, I will stray so far from the familiar that I won’t be able to find my way back home. Just the thought of it makes my heart beat a little faster!

The same is true of decisions. After all, before you can go somewhere you have to decide where you want to go. For some of us, those destinations are not on the map yet, especially when it comes to our futures.

What are we going to do with our lives?

When will things happen for us?

How will they happen?

Having attended my cousin’s university graduation yesterday, these questions are fresh in my mind. Listening to the President’s speech, I realized for the second time that there are no set directions for us to follow. The advice of others can get us only so far, and even then, we can trace a plan step-by-step and still not end up at the place we thought we would.

If I had to guess, I’d bet that a whole lot of people are walking around lost in the woods. Like me, they are moving without a clear understanding of where their steps will take them. They might end up here, or they might end up there. Who knows? They certainly don’t.

This means that most of us have a choice to make: we can either focus on the unknown destination or we can focus on the fact that our lives have already begun. As long as we have breath in our bodies, we are reaching new destinations. The question is, are we taking the time to look up from our frustrating maps to realize it?

Watching those graduates cross the stage yesterday, I had a breakthrough. I realized that I may be lost when it comes to the future, but I am not lost when it comes to the present. When it came to sitting in that audience and cheering for my cousin as she received her diploma, I knew I was exactly where I wanted to be.

From now on, whenever questions about the future pop into my mind I am going to take a page out of Winnie-the-Pooh’s book. I will take a deep breath and say: “I’m not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.”

In other words, I may not know where I’m headed, but I am not a lost person. My experiences getting lost have taught me that some of the best adventures are unexpected. They have taught me that as long as I know who I am regardless of where I am, then I am heading in the right direction.

Looking forward to crossing paths with you in the woods!