How did I find my way to the place I am now? Where did I start when I didn’t know where I was? Where did I begin when had I lost any semblance of who I was?
I had so much to learn. I had to become a captain of a vessel in a sea of uncertainty. I was in uncharted waters without a map, and I couldn’t draw one because I didn’t know where I was. My pen made only a dot on paper. The dot being an island where I was stranded alone in fear.
Do I make it up? Draw a line and see if it gets me anywhere? Would it get me over the next crashing wave? After all I was without knowledge on how to navigate a vessel other than the one I’ve sailed since my arrival on this earth.
I was terrified of what was on the other side of the waves. How many would my vessel have to crash into? All while getting nowhere.
I had an old map, crinkled and torn, I used it a million times. But all I had was left behind.
Wait, behind. Didn’t I draw that map? I charted my way through everything up to this very moment, didn’t I? Didn’t I choose my course then?
That’s it! My new map started where the old one stopped! I could only start from there, from what I had, every single experience, memory, and vision. Every accumulated piece of knowledge, all my strengths. Even my failures. I could use all of this to charter my vessel! Nothing from my old map changed. Nothing left me. Nothing. Each piece that made me whole, who I am today, is my pen. Who I am is my compass.
I laid out my paper, and I drew that first line. The crashing waves calmed, and I began to chart my course, I rescued myself from that island of fear. My vessel began to lead me along a journey both beautiful and challenging. One I continue to sail to this day.
Drawing my map, one line after another, I’m guiding myself through some pretty amazing experiences. Wanna come along?
