People say it is okay to feel lost. How can that be?
Feeling lost is the stage where the place we once felt comfortable suddenly becomes unfamiliar. The work environment we called home – the one where we believed we belonged – feels strange. The doors we were confident would always open for us now greet us with cold silence when we knock. Our role models, the leaders, we once admired are no longer inspiring.
“What is the next move?” is the haunting question on our minds.
Sometimes it feels like we don’t even understand ourselves. The work we used to love no longer excites us. We turn to friends for advice, only to find they no longer understand us either. Their words feel disconnected from our experience.
But how could they – when we don’t even know what is happening within ourselves?
Being lost doesn’t mean something is wrong. It doesn’t mean we made a wrong choice that led us into the middle of a forest, or that we are not flexible enough to adapt to changes in the outside world.
It is not about the outside. It is the INSIDE!
It is our BEING – the way we interpret reality, what we feel, and how we present ourselves to the world – that has silently evolved to the stage where we never fit in – neither where we are, nor where we believed we should be.
In that uncomfortable and bizarre stage, our instinct is to DO something. We travel to places we once loved. We eat our favorite foods. We meet with old soulmates… but nothing seems to energize us. We try to be creative and do more to contribute to the world, and it leads to nowhere.
The secret is we don’t need to do anything – yet.
The reason the opportunity hasn’t come yet is the new being hasn’t fully bloomed.
Take time to understand this new stage of being. Learn to listen to what our self wants and needs. Learn what it now values. Let go of what we used to believe we loved – foods, places, books, hobbies, and even people. If it wants to rest, then rest. If it is curious about something, learn. If it wants to experiment, try.
And never rush.
When the new being blooms into its full form, something magical will happen. That’s when the world will open up, offering endless possibilities. Because each of us plays a part in shaping this world. Every being is needed. Each person has a role to serve and contribute to others.
Are you ready to accept your new self and follow a different path?
Thao Pham
ICF Professional Certified Coach
Executive & Corporate Well-being Coach