Read This When You're Feeling Lost...

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. – Henry David Thoreau

Whether you're in your 20's or in your 40's, sometimes life can truly feel like an uphill grind. This past summer as I gear up for my Master's program, I felt extremely lost. I lacked structure and instead of leaning on my passion for writing to find myself again, I instead decided to continue going as I was not realizing that whenever I was alone, I would feel anxious, lost and in complete dissarray.

To put it simply, I didn't feel like myself and for almost the entirety of the summer I couldn't figure out why. Then it hit me hard... I suffered a wrist injury and I wasn't able to type nor do many of the other things I really enjoyed. I never stopped taking care of myself physically, but I did however stop taking care of myself mentally. It wasn't until I went for a long drive bymyself that I realized what I was truly missing... Writing.

For me, writing has always been not just my way to express myself, but also my way to naivgate life and continue onwards with a clear mind. It's my greatest passion and the thing I look forward to the most each and everyday. My problem wasn't that I needed to figure my life out, but moreso that I needed to lean once again on the things that I was most passionate. For one person, that could mean doing art, playing guitar or even playing video games. For me however, it's sitting down and allowing my thoughts to continue going rampant.

So to you the reader... If you're ever feeling lost in life, remember to take a deep breath in and ask yourself the question, "What am I passionate about?" or "What things make me feel the most alive?" When you ask yourself the tough questions, you'll most likely get a more real and authentic answer. Moreover, if you don't happen to know what you're passionate about, then perhaps it's finally time to figure it out.

Try new things, expierence new realities and open yourself up to new perspectives and ideas. While life will inevitably feel difficult at times, if you find the things and people that you are most passionate about... You will always have something warm to lean on when life may feel cold and alone.

And lastly, remember that life was never meant to be expierenced as a straight line. There will be ups and downs, moments of clarity, moments of failure and everything in-between. Up until now, you've made it through everything that life has thrown at you and for that, you should be proud. Appreciate how far you've come. Take the time now to really find what it is that you need in this moment and know that there is always a light at the end a dark tunnel. Use this time now to become more aware of who you are, and ultimately, who you want to become. Feeling lost in life can be a blessing in disguise because we often lean away from things until they become so unbearable that we are forced to look closely at them.

Keep your head high... You will be better off for this in the end.

-M.W