Do Yourself A Favor: Get Lost
Yeah you read that right, get lost.
Trust me, I'm a nice guy...I think, but do us all a favor (including yourself) and just go get lost. If you've ever heard the saying "it's about the journey not the destination" then you know exactly where I'm going with this. One of the best parts about traveling isn't actually the "destination", it's everything in between, from the time you leave and to the moment you arrive. Maybe you're thinking that you can't get lost or if you can, why would you want to? Let me explain.
"Lost" can be defined in many different ways. Perhaps you're the literal type..you don't know where you are physically at in a geographic sense. Another option would be being internally lost. It could be mentally, spiritually, etc. Either way, get lost. "Oh well Colt I've already been everywhere, so I can't get lost." 😑 K. Nice try. Whether it be a road trip, travelling on a plane, or maybe even just going for a hike into the wilderness, you can get lost literally anywhere. If you can get lost in a store, then you're perfectly capable. We have zero excuses. Remember how I was saying it's not about where you are but rather where you're going? Let it be Italy or IKEA it really doesn't matter as long as you're wandering.
Not knowing where you're going is good for everybody. There are people out there that are nothing like myself: they actually know what they're doing with their lives. I applaud these people. They've had a goal since they were young and have an accompanied plan in order to achieve whatever it is they're going after. Then there are some people that are like myself: we're not entirely sure what we're doing but we'll know it once it happens...until then, we enjoy the ride. Now although these two types of people may be stark contrasts of one another, the benefits of getting lost are the same.
Trust me, I'm a nice guy...I think, but do us all a favor (including yourself) and just go get lost. If you've ever heard the saying "it's about the journey not the destination" then you know exactly where I'm going with this. One of the best parts about traveling isn't actually the "destination", it's everything in between, from the time you leave and to the moment you arrive. Maybe you're thinking that you can't get lost or if you can, why would you want to? Let me explain.
"Lost" can be defined in many different ways. Perhaps you're the literal type..you don't know where you are physically at in a geographic sense. Another option would be being internally lost. It could be mentally, spiritually, etc. Either way, get lost. "Oh well Colt I've already been everywhere, so I can't get lost." 😑 K. Nice try. Whether it be a road trip, travelling on a plane, or maybe even just going for a hike into the wilderness, you can get lost literally anywhere. If you can get lost in a store, then you're perfectly capable. We have zero excuses. Remember how I was saying it's not about where you are but rather where you're going? Let it be Italy or IKEA it really doesn't matter as long as you're wandering.
Not knowing where you're going is good for everybody. There are people out there that are nothing like myself: they actually know what they're doing with their lives. I applaud these people. They've had a goal since they were young and have an accompanied plan in order to achieve whatever it is they're going after. Then there are some people that are like myself: we're not entirely sure what we're doing but we'll know it once it happens...until then, we enjoy the ride. Now although these two types of people may be stark contrasts of one another, the benefits of getting lost are the same.
- Clear your head - No idea where you are? Freaking out? STOP. Feel that thing in your chest beating? You're still alive, so enjoy the moment. Quit thinking and just look around. Take in your surroundings. Live in that very instant. What'd you see? What'd you hear, smell, feel? Not able to experience being lost in Walmart? How do you feel in that very moment? Are you excited about something? Stressed about the paper due next week? Thinking about the complications that come with everyday life in the real world? Clear your head. Empty your mind of all the thoughts that occupy it 24/7 and just exist.
- Question everything - Now this might seem to be a direct contradiction with #1 but hear me out. Take wherever you are and whatever you're doing and use it as a means to think about everything in a different way. Don't doubt yourself, but question it all. Ask if what you're doing is what you really want. Getting lost can be a great experience because it allows you to take time for yourself and see things you want to see, think about things that only you can, and maybe even try new things you've always wanted to or never thought you'd get to do.
- Reflect - Getting lost allows us to reflect. We might not think this because at some point we'll want to find ourselves again, but in order to do so we need to lose ourselves first. With no clear direction of where we're going, we have no choice but to reflect on our lives, relationships, surroundings, goals, dreams, aspirations, status, world, society, you name it. This reflecting benefits us all because it provides us with a new way to look at what we previously have just grown accustomed to living with. Spending some time in this sort of limbo, we give ourselves the opportunity to rethink things we once thought we already knew.
Getting lost is most definitely about finding ourselves. How can you know what you already have if you haven't had to find out what it is you're identifying with? When I say "get lost" I'm not suggesting that you throw caution to the wind and disregard your responsibilities, I'm simply saying, take a minute for yourself and make sure you're looking at the bigger picture that you are a part of. Losing yourself let's us see things in a different light, expands our once hindered views, and frees ourselves from what we've been taught to be the right way of going about things. Don't forget that the "right" way isn't always the only way. I can promise you one thing, you'll eventually get lost if you just...
Wing it.
-C
Comments
Post a Comment