I have felt lost many times since then – in towns and cities
and foreign countries – but I have come to realize that being lost isn’t always
about geography. At least, not the
geography of a physical landscape. I
think it is just as easy, and much more common, to spend one’s time feeling lost
in mental geography. Life is a series of
decisions, either conscious or unconscious and it isn’t always easy to figure
out which decision to make. When I was
younger, I was nearly overwhelmed by the feeling that every choice I made would
have a deep and long lasting impact on my life.
Some did, but I have mostly forgotten the majority of the problems that
I stressed over at the time. The choices
that truly changed my life were the ones that I made in the face of unforeseen
circumstances – taking a leap of faith, facing fears, letting go of negative
experiences.
So maybe life isn’t about having all of the answers. Maybe life is about looking up from your
horse and realizing that you might be lost, but you will figure it out. I was once lost in the Paris subway. I knew the name of my stop and got off the
train in the right place, but once I was off the train I had to make my way through
a maze of tunnels and a crowd of bustling Parisians. The only French word I recognized at the time
was sortie. I followed the exit signs and crossed my
fingers that the Eiffel Tower would be there when I reached the surface. It was.
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