Feeling Lost in Life? — 3 Reasons Why It’s a Blessing in Disguise

Society makes it seem like it’s not okay to feel lost in life — most of us are expected to go to college, figure out our majors within two years, determine our career paths within four years, land jobs right after graduation and ascend the ladder for the rest of our lives.

There is little wiggle room to breathe, let alone decide if the path you’ve embarked on is the one you actually want to stay on. If you do come to the realization that your current path isn’t for you but aren’t entirely sure which path to embark on next, it’s easy for other people to pass judgment. For example: If you’re in your mid-20s, hate your job and have no idea what to do next, it’s labeled as a quarter-life crisis.

CRISIS. The dictionary defines crisis as “a time of intense difficulty, trouble or danger.”?What if we saw moments of not knowing next steps as a blessing in disguise??What if we saw it as opportunities waiting to be had? Because they are and here are three reasons why:

1)?It’s a privilege to be able to question what it is that you really want out of life

To be able to question what you want out of life is a privilege. It means that your basic and fundamental needs are being met and you have the time and resources to question your place and contributions in the world. Not everyone has this luxury — It truly is a blessing. It also means that you’re thinking for yourself and not just doing something because other people are doing it or because it’s expected of you.

2)?It’s an opportunity to turn inward and an opportunity to explore an infinite array of possibilities

Rather than judging yourself for not knowing what to do next, see this as an opportunity to be open and explore anything and everything that piques your interest. It’s an opportunity to turn inward, listen to your intuition and take action because something is tugging at your heart strings, not merely because it’s something that you “should” be doing. In your heart, you’ll know when something feels right and that will inform you as to next steps to take.

3)?You’re in the space to try things you normally wouldn’t try and that can lead you to places you’ve never been

In my mid-twenties, I quit my job without having another job lined up. It was nerve-racking because I was afraid of giving up the stability and paycheck that comes with having a 9–5 job. However, I also knew that I didn’t want to jump into another job just for the sake of having a job.

Not having another job lined up turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it gave me the time and space to try different things that I normally wouldn’t have (and couldn’t have if I had a 9–5 job). For example: I pursued an agribusiness consulting gig in Zimbabwe, a place I had never visited before, but now holds a special place in my heart.

The consulting gig also helped me realize while I probably wasn’t cut out for work in the field of international development, I still wanted to positively impact the world and knowing this propelled me to pivot into a full-time job in the non-profit sector 9 months later.

Here’s to feeling lost and all the opportunities waiting to be had.

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