Destiny is Created by the Steps We Take

Some of you may not know, but there was a time when road trips were a little more complicated than they are now.

Quite a few years ago, Mack and I took our son, Eric, on vacation to Tampa, Florida. We planned to do some kayaking or canoeing, visit Busch Gardens, and do some sightseeing. We filled the car with our bags, packed a cooler with snacks, and took off down the road with our trusty road atlas. 

In those days, traveling didn’t involve a cell phone or a GPS. You needed an atlas to navigate the major highways and make sure you were headed down the right road. An atlas would have maps of the major roads but usually didn’t include a detailed map of the city, unless it was a major city. Even then, there was always the risk of the atlas being out of date if the roads had changed.  

We made it to Tampa without any problem and stopped at a gas station when we got to the city. We had to buy a map of Tampa, so we would know how to get to our hotel. With Mack driving, it was my job to navigate. I unfolded the map carefully as we started into the city. Since Tampa is a large city, the map was also large. 

I had the address for the hotel where we were staying and was able to locate the street on the map in just a few minutes. But, as Mack kept driving, I realized we had a slight problem. 

I didn’t know where we were. 

I knew the major interstate we had driven down, but I wasn’t paying attention to where we got off or where we had stopped for gas and a map. After a few minutes of driving in silence, Mack asked me, “Where should I turn?”

My (rather brilliant) reply, “We are looking for the street our hotel is on.”

“I know that,” he said, somewhat exasperated. “What road do I turn on to get there?” Silence filled the car for a moment. “I don’t know,” I finally confessed. 

“What do you mean you don’t know? Just look on the map, and tell me what road to turn on.” After being in the car for seven hours, the temperature was heating up, and I don’t mean on the thermostat. “I am looking at the map!” I exclaimed, hurt that he questioned my ability to read the map.

“Well, you aren’t looking at it if you don’t know what road we need to take.”

“I know what road to take,” I huffed, “I just don’t know what road we are on now.” 

We eventually saw a sign at an intersection that helped us figure out where we were, and then, we were able to find the right road to our hotel. It was an important lesson: The best map in the world isn’t any good if you don’t know where you are and where you want to go.

These days, when you take a road trip, you can get turn by turn guidance from Siri or the little man living inside your TomTom. But, in your life today, just like taking a road trip years ago, you must identify where you are and where you want to go, before you can get there. Once you have done that, you can identify the gap between where you are and where you want to be. In technical terms, we could call this “THE GAP ANALYSIS,” which is a fancy term for “from here to there.”

Then, and only then, can you create your action plan to get there. Once you know where you are and where you want to go, the main question to ask yourself is, "Is what I'm about to do going to move me forward toward my goal?" And, if the answer is "yes," then do it! But, until you know where you are going, you can't decide how to get there. Our destiny is created by the steps we take and the choices we make.

You Are Destined to Be More…

You have untapped potential to do, have, and be more in life.

But, developing your potential and becoming the best version of yourself will require personal growth and transformation. Your dreams were given to you for only one reason: you are capable of making them come true.

Leverage the power of small changes over time in my upcoming workshops! These six session virtual workshops help you discover how simple it is to develop yourself and become the best version of YOU. Starting January 2021 - Choose either a workshop focused on Time Management and Goal Achievement or one on Personal/Professional Growth for Women.

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Leadership speaker and author Ria Story empowers women to increase influence, develop leadership, and maximize results. She is the creator of "Fearfully and Wonderfully Me: Become the Leader You are Destined to Be."?

Visit RiaStory.com for resources, podcast info, programs, and books on leadership, success, and personal growth.