“Get lost” is usually something you hear when someone is sick of you and wants you to leave them alone. You may get lost when trying to get to a new place, and that’s a terrible and scary feeling. No one likes being lost. No one likes to feel like their presence isn’t wanted or to feel like they have no idea where they are. All this to say, most people don’t really attach a positive connotation to the word “lost”.
But maybe being lost isn’t such a bad thing.
Hear me out. I hate being lost too. I like to know where I’m going and to feel familiar with my surroundings. But odds are you are going to be lost at one point or another, so the best way to approach it is with curiosity, not panic. Realize that wherever you are, you will find your way back. It might take some time and some effort, but you will never be so far gone that you can never return to where you were or find the place where you’re meant to be.
Embrace the mystery of the unknown places, in the world and within yourself.
Because I don’t just mean that it can be okay to be lost physically. It can be okay to be lost in other ways too. Oftentimes people are unclear about a lot of other things in their lives, such as relationships, employment, school, religion – the list goes on and on.
FYI – it’s totally normal to feel unsure. It’s okay to have days where you question everything. To not know where you belong. All of those feelings are 100% valid.
If I’m being totally real with you, I’m there right now. I know where I am physically, but some days I feel lost in a variety of other ways. I question why I’m here in Eau Claire, what I’m going to do when I’m done here, and where I belong socially. I won’t go into details, because it takes enough out of me to just admit how lost I feel right now.
But I find great comfort in the fact that I won’t feel like this way. It may come and go, but I’m not going to feel lost for the rest of my life. I know it’s not going to disappear overnight. It’s going to take some time to figure myself out and to decide where I want to be. But I know that I have some amazing people around me who support me through everything and a God who will never give up on me, even during times when I may want to give up on myself.
Being lost in any way never feels good at the time, but you may just find some of the best places and the best parts of yourself in the process. You will learn things and discover things that you may have not been able to find any other way.
So hey, get lost (it’s only temporary).
