Are you lost?

Are you lost?

Your first response might be, "Of course not. I know just where I am. I'm [INSERT LOCATION HERE]."

But on a soul-level, your journey of becoming, defining where you are is more complicated.

If you're rethinking or nearing the end of your occupational or familial role, defining where you are (and where you want to go) can be really confusing, overwhelming, and fraught. It can make you feel lost, lonely, and insufficient.

If this is you, I want you to know, it's not your fault.

Most of us grow up in an educational system that provides a clear roadmap to a compulsory destination and demands compliance and conformity about how we travel there.

When we complete school, we enter the world of work where the expectations and rules of engagement are essentially the same. Do what you're told, stay on task, and don't ask questions or deviate from the norm.

Oh, and to ensure we don't come together to discuss and question these systems, they bake in competition. It's hard to collaborate and create a better way forward when we're trying to outsmart and outmaneuver each other.

The first mountain of our life's journey is all about the roadmap and external validation.

But what do you do when your occupational or family raising duties come to an end?

Enter confusion, overwhelm, and fraughtness. The first mountain doesn't provide a roadmap for where to go if you've fallen off or reached the summit.

Good news. There's a second mountain. A mountain that, if you choose to see and scale it, provides greater meaning and fulfillment. A mountain we climb in community and in service to something greater than ourselves.

But there's no roadmap to negotiate the second mountain. You need a compass, a guide, and fellow travelers.

Roadmaps demand obedience and direct you where others have been. A compass cultivates empowerment and earning confidence as you find your own way.

Taking a DIY approach to a second mountain journey is possible, but it's more efficient with a trusted guide. 

And an affiliation of fellow travelers makes the journey more effortless and enjoyable.

Are you lost? Maybe it's time to reconsider which mountain you want to climb and how to begin?

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose. 

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