The Art of Getting Lost

There are those with a poor sense of direction, and then there’s me. I can go into a store at the mall and get lost trying to get out. It has become so common that I have simply embraced it. “What interesting sight will I see, or what new and unexpected discovery will I make as I figure out where I am and where I want to go?”, I’ll think to myself. It’s an interesting and light-hearted perspective, isn’t it? But I haven’t always viewed my getting lost so nonchalantly. Oh no. I used to get flustered and anxious as I tried to get my bearings. It can be really frustrating to not know where you are, try as you might to retrace your steps.

I once got lost in New York while shopping. I was fine until I was ready to return and didn’t know where I was. Panic set in and I walked up this street and that street trying to figure it all out. I walked for an hour or two then I just stopped. My feet were sore, I was tired and hungry so I decided to stop at the next restaurant to get something to eat. After I finished eating I decided to get back to figuring out how to find my way home. As I looked across the street, I noticed a familiar building. I was almost home.

There was another time that I got lost but this time I had company. My cousin and I walked and walked until we were so tired, that we stopped at the next bench we saw on the sidewalk. We sat down and in no time we fell asleep. And would you know that we were practically next to where we were heading? What is it with me getting lost and finding myself only when I resign to the moment, or take a break? I suppose it’s the universe’s way of telling me to take a step back, put up less resistance, and surrender to the moment.

We could all learn a lot from getting lost; whether in the moment, in our thoughts, or in trying to solve a problem, and allowing our minds to go where they may, leading us to the solution. Many wonderful ideas and inventions came about by pure chance, by making the ‘wrong’ turn or doing the ‘wrong’ thing. So the next time your mind wanders or gets off track, or your feet for that matter, don’t panic. Just go with the flow, you may just find the best thing you (never even knew you) were looking for.

—

Copyright © Larisa McBean