Correct Your Life Course

I’m notoriously bad with directions. My friends joke, “if you don’t want to get there, ask Barbara.” Once on a driving trip to Atlanta I looked up to find myself far past the mark…in Savannah. In my defense, it was quite dark.

The problem isn’t only that road and street signs are, unfortunately, displayed in the smallest possible font; it’s also that there is something about driving that causes me to “zone out.” When I get behind the wheel I’m on auto-pilot - I don’t devote the attention I should to the road or route.

Some of us live our lives in much the same fashion. Not surprisingly, we lose our way. If you’ve been there you know it usually goes something like this…you’re living your life when you begin to feel out of alignment. You feel a little lost or like something just isn’t quite right. Sometimes the feeling is slight, a nagging sensation that something is amiss. Other times you have an aching, yawning emptiness. You may look at your life and see that you have everything you thought you wanted…except the fulfillment you really crave.

Just as you do when you take a wrong turn on the road, you must consult your (life) map and correct your course. Far more troublesome than veering off course is failing to recognize how or why you have gotten off course in the first place. When we can’t connect our empty feeling to its source, we may try to ignore the feeling or fill the gap with excess shopping, eating or other habits that are comforting, at least in the short term, but ultimately leave us feeling no better.

If you suspect that your nagging feeling is about living out of alignment with what you really want, don’t worry. You can correct your course.

What can you do?

Be willing to sit with your discomfort for a bit. Your gut has a lot to tell you. As the old saying goes, “you cannot fix what you will not face.” As you sit, have the courage to be honest about your needs and your feelings Does your current life course offer rewards that are important to you? If not, what creative alternatives are available to you? What are you willing to give up or trade off (e.g. employment that doesn’t offer as much monetary compensation, but is much more fulfilling)? Journaling, prayer, meditation and friends can be very helpful throughout this process.

Listen to what you hear as you sit, pray, meditate or talk. Again, your inner voice has a lot to tell you. At this point you don’t need to know the “how” of it (i.e., your personal revolution), so don’t let doubt or your inner critic sabotage you. You only need to be willing to open yourself to the process.

Put yourself in places and around people that inspire and recharge you. It may be in these places that you summon the creativity and courage to work out the “how.” If not, don’t worry. Be patient, you will get there. Remember, the journey counts, too. Your purpose isn’t only to find your way, but also to take the first steps and enjoy the sights and experiences you collect along the way.