You Can Get THERE From HERE
I remember the first GPS I had in a vehicle. After years of maps and then Mapquest, the idea that a little box could tell me where to go was fantastic. This. I would be able to drive into new territory a little less worried about getting lost when trying to make it somewhere on time. All the planning was packed into a tiny little box. BUT. Then there were times when I still ended up missing turns and would find myself way off of the designated path. Sometimes the GPS would even tell me to turn where there was clearly no road to turn on.
"Recalculating," it would say to me over and over as I missed cues. More than once, I had to ignore it and either stop and turn around, ask someone for directions, or pull out a map and chart a new course (yes, I actually had folded maps in my glove compartment). I would get to the destination, but not always in the amount of time I had hoped for.
Life's like that. We have these trajectories that we are pretty sure we are on the road toward and then we miss a turn, and maybe another. We can suddenly realize we have gone way beyond "recalculating." The good news is that when we have that awareness we can recalibrate ourselves and move onward. We can look at how we have grown. Every turn and every seeming setback is still a step forward.
I came across a post by columnist, speaker, and PR and publicity expert Chris Winfield , a co-founder of Super Connector Media – an award-winning online education & training company. Two points particularly connected with what has been pouring out of my pen onto paper lately. I'd like to share some of his words with my thoughts.
"Resiliency is a muscle..."*
The twists and turns of your path are calisthenics for your resilience, preparing you to be even greater than you could imagine. They are a gift to the foundation of your future forward because they reinforce your awareness of your purpose and, therefore, help steady your perseverance.
The off-map journey also allows you to help other people navigate and not miss the same turns you did ("slow down after you pass the big orange and red sign by the bridge"). You can provide reassurance that there are many roads back to an old goal or on to a new one.
"Bad experiences make GREAT STORIES and lessons. These are the messages you will be able to tell from experience that will help people realize that they can also overcome struggle."*
The opportunity to be a beacon is powerful. It helps others to succeed, and it gives you credence. It's hard to trust a field guide who has never bushwhacked.
Realizing how ready you are for something now does not mean that you always were.
The good news is you can get there from here.
*The two quotes are from Chris Winfield's post which can be found at https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/chriswinfield_marketing-motivation-entrepreneurship-activity-7000469325279105024-p8ho?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop