Go Uncharted
And Take Your Time To Arrive
I always believed that somewhere in the world, there was a map of life. So, I set out to find it—truly searched for it. I obstinately looked everywhere for that little scroll detailing all the different paths and shortcuts to my journey's destination. Of course, I never found it, and that made me frustrated and sad at times.
"What do you mean there's no map to walk through this damn thing?" I would often mutter to myself. ‘How am I supposed to know I am going the right way?’ So I spent a fair bit of my younger years planning my life out to keep it as smooth as possible. And that didn’t work either, of course.
We're probably all given a bit of direction and a list of places and things to avoid when we arrive in this world. "Alright, little souls, welcome to planet Earth. We hope you had a pleasant flight down because things are about to get a bit bumpy. Don't worry, here's a little drawing of where you're headed next. Sorry it's not very clear, but you'll find that many things won't be as you go along. Now off you go, chop-chop. And a little word of warning... don't walk too fast, or you'll spoil your fun."
They don’t tell us, though, that whichever path we take, it's bound to change and change again. The only thing we're truly required to do to enjoy our time here is to take one step at a time and mind the puddles. There will be quite a few, and they'll often be very muddy and deep.
For my 50th birthday, I have a wish: I want to go uncharted.
I want to give myself the luxury of not needing to know what’s next or to look any further than where I am standing. The last time I looked, there was nothing there.
Living uncharted means accepting the bumps the same as the easy slopes. We learn to move gracefully through the endless course changes we will encounter, ceasing to rush toward wherever we think we should be.
To evoke grace is to walk through life unmapped, enjoying the journey all the same. There's no need to make each moment more than it is; instead, we carefully savor it and store it somewhere safe. Memories will be our loyal companions throughout our entire time here, and we must be present enough to make them.
Our desire to know what's next often masks our distrust in our ability to handle whatever lies ahead.
As I grow older, I am strongly called to accept that within me lies everything necessary to live well, even when I have no clue where I'm going next. While it is finally clear to me that life’s unpredictability is a given, I see now that this is not a sign that something has gone wrong and needs fixing. Instead, this shows that my innate wisdom and resilience will always be my north star when I get myself out of the way.
I look forward to embracing uncertainty rather than dreading it as I slowly start allowing more spontaneity into my days. Each step, whether planned or unforeseen, becomes part of a path that is truly unique and never walked before. While we are all surely headed the same way, the journey we each take is solely our own.
As I move towards unfamiliar terrains, this new time offers the opportunity to see myself in a new light. Venturing into the unknown makes me discover qualities I never thought I had and helps me own the ones that allowed me to come this far; all while I celebrate who I am and who I am becoming.
May you stand before the open road unwaveringly, dear friend. May you choose to go unmapped. And when unsure of the way ahead, may you trust your inner north star.