The Beauty Of Being Lost
I've always wondered what it'd be like to be a person with a clear vision of life. A person who has an idea of how they were going to live their life start to finish. Where they're going and how they are getting there. Sometimes, I get upset with myself that I'm not as rigid and strict with my life plans as others are. Sometimes, I feel like a mess. Sometimes, I feel very lost.
Growing up, I've always been considered by those around me to be somewhat of an idealist. My head has always been in the clouds, and to be honest, I don't think it intends to come down any time soon. As I've gotten older and perhaps, wiser, I've also learned that it can be an insanely beautiful thing to be lost. I think the problem with life, that brings us pain and heartaches is believing that we've ever been or will be "found".
When we are kids, we have dreams of being doctors, superheroes, movie stars, maybe even professional golfers. As children, we are taught that it's ok to dream. It's ok to believe you can be whatever you'd like to be. We are given the freedom to see the world with this wide-eyed innocence because we are too young and naive to know any better. So tell me, at what point does reality shift into this dark, dim, world lacking hope and happiness? At what point is it time to "grow up" or "figure it out"? I'm still pretty convinced the whole idea of figuring anything out in this lifetime, is pretty much a myth. See that's the thing. The people who you see, living their dreams, and being successful doing so...you might not believe this, but they never grew up from that childhood optimism. They never let those fears of society creep in on them, telling them they're not good enough, or that they were going to fail.
Whenever I travel to a new city, I love to take a day to just get lost. Walk down streets I've never seen before, find cute little cafes that I probably would have never found if I yelped or googled my way around. Having traveled by myself quite a bit, I always find it funny when I travel with new people and the question is always, without fail..."Do you even know where we are going?" NO. I don't. That's the point. Because when you allow yourself to get lost, sometimes, that's when you stumble upon something you might have never expected.
It's the same in life. Sometimes, you have to just know what it is you want, and instead of planning out the specifics, allow life to just guide you to it. Who knows, you might just happen upon something really great along the way. The idea of being lost to many, is very scary, but why? We live in a time where all the information in the world, is sitting right in our back pockets if we need it. Perhaps, the problem is that we are too connected. Instead of having that internal connection and communication with ourselves, we are so focused on what our externals are telling us to do and not following our hearts. Not pursuing the things that will make us happy, and letting other people's fears dictate how we live our lives.
I have never worked a 9-5 office job, and believe me, I never will. It's amazing to me how some people consider this as lacking hard work and dedication. Playing professional golf I spent 8-10 hours a day working on my game and my mind. I started this job, seriously, at the age of 12. Some of the things I am most grateful for golf teaching me is, how to navigate life by lessons I've learned on the course. Realizing that majority of the hard work and advancements we make in life are due to our thoughts and what we believe, vs. the time we spend putting in physical labor. If you are someone who thinks hard work is sacrifice, you are wrong, and probably not very happy. I'll tell you what hard work is...Hard work is waking up everyday and fighting the resistance you feel to live a life of conformity instead of pursuing what actually makes you happy. Fighting that voice of fear that tells you to just go get that 9-5, give up your weeks and your time to make a paycheck, it's not like this dream of yours is ever going to take off. Majority of my daily energy is spent telling that voice to FUCK OFF! Trusting is something that doesn't come easily, but if you are someone with a dream, let me tell you it's 20% action and 80% trust. Cause without that trust, you won't be seeing any action. Each time I feel tight or lost, I just trust that The Universe, God, whatever you choose to believe, has my f*cking back and let me tell you I have yet to be let down.
When we set these crazy specific plans for how our lives are supposed to go, every time we hit a snag, we are immediately on the defense. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME? Baby, maybeeee it's happening for you? Silly, for you to think you have it figured out. Instead, when we allow ourselves to go with the flow of life, enjoying the journey rather than try to rush towards a destination we are greeted by beautiful and incredible experiences. Which, sometimes even come from those times we felt the most broken and lost.
So yes, the truth is you are going to fail. You are going to be scared. You are going to get your heartbroken. There will be times where you feel extremely LOST, but just like those beautiful unknown city streets, allow yourself to take the time to wander through life. If you feel lost, maybe the answer you're looking for can be found in losing yourself a little bit more. You might end up finding something you never even knew you were looking for.
