The Art of Being Lost

CC image courtesy of i_yudai on Flickr.

When I was younger, I was angsty. Like most young people out in the world, I believed there was art to be lost, sad, and frustrated with the world around me. It was fun to sit and brood in my ... lostness.

Throughout my life, at major transitions, I have often found myself in this state of lostness without really wanting it. When my dad died, when I was laid off from my job ... these major transitions always seemed to bring on that feeling of being between things. I was no longer the person I was, but not yet the person I was about to become. It was like my life had not caught up with who or where I was now. It was an uncomfortable stalemate.

When you are a stepmom, it is easy to get lost. There are constant demands and constant expectations that take you away from where you are and thrust you in a different direction. We become lost in a city of other people's expectations. We lose our roadmap. We become tourists in our own lives.

If this is the way you feel today, indulge. Savor the feeling of being lost. Accept where you are. And when you are ready explore where you have been.

Exercise:
You may want to start a journal and ask yourself what were you passionate about when you were 5-10, 15-20, 25-30, 35-40, etc.

1. What did you like to do?
2. Who were your friends? Why were they your friends?
3. What did you believe in? Why did you believe in it?
4. What sort of music did you like?  
5. What movies did you like?  

As you chart your interests, look for transitions and turning points in your life.

Remembering where you have been, can be a help unlock hidden passions and desires. It is also an honoring of yourself and all you have been through. It is a key to finding yourself again.