On Being Lost
Our world demonizes a lack of direction. If you don’t know what you want from this life, what your purpose is or what you’re in pursuit of, then you belong in the self-help book aisle until you figure it out and get on the path to becoming your best self.
We only feel great about ourselves until we feel a little unsure of what our next step might be. We anchor our value, our joy, and our trust in our own process in whether or not we feel certain in what life holds for us. And when that certainty feels more like a whisper of a sweet possibility than a 5 year plan laid out in front of you, you suddenly deem yourself as the worst human being to have ever breathed oxygen.
Uncertainty often seems like a never ending abyss. The unknown often is felt as a thick fog looming in the distance of the direction you’re heading. Or worse, surrounding you in every direction you look, obscuring your sense of all direction including earth and sky. What if the uncertain, the unknown, and the yet-to-be-decided wasn’t the worst place you could possibly find yourself, but instead is a meaningful part of your process? What if it is the necessary moment right before everything begins to make sense again and fall into place?
While I do not advise staying lost forever, or making lost boy/girl/person your only sense of self, I do advise embracing seasons of uncertainty. I encourage sharpening the skill of being comfortable in the discomfort of not knowing.
Uncertainty is a catalyst to get curious, and the unknown is a playground to use your curiosity.
The gift of being lost is that the moment you find yourself feeling lost or recognizing that you do not have a clear sense of direction, is the moment of opportunity that will lead you to finding your way. The moment you acknowledge how lost you might feel is the moment you get to become fully aware of how free you are to choose what comes next. You don’t get to find your way in life if you don’t get a little lost first.
Get out there and make some Good Light.
Xx Riley Reign
REFLECT BELOW —
When was a time in your life that being lost actually lead you somewhere beautiful? What did it teach you?
Did this piece speak to something within you? Find more complimentary good light here —
— Read This If You’re Wondering If There Is More To Life
— Your Capacity For Life Is So Much Bigger Than You Give Yourself Credit For
— You Are Remarkable. Live Like It.
Damn, how the Substack algorithm is like the Universe, putting in front of my eyes what I need to see. I had this exact conversation with a friend today as we talked about a potential joint project. I said something to the effect of "The second we start talking about how to commercialize this or what our 5-year plan is, or how we'll scale, I'm out." It's like I've become allergic to certainty, to aggressive goal setting, to doing it the "right way." I just want to do it. If it works, amazing. If it doesn't, I need some practice failing too. For me, it's less about uncertainty and more about the permission not to be certain, which may be the same thing but feels slightly askew. Thank you for being the Universe's echo today. 🧡
Love this, exactly what I needed atm, and the idea of perspective shift is so key, that we can view uncertainty with a sense of curiosity and wonder rather than pure frustration or fear! I wrote a piece on a similar topic last year and its so reassuring to see other people mulling over the same ideas 💛