Exchanging a Map for a Compass

 I remember first learning about compasses in grade school.  We were shown how they work and then came the exercise of actually trying to use one to find our way somewhere.  I have never felt so lost in my life!  Not being someone who is naturally inclined with a good sense of direction, this fact is not shocking at all.  Even when I have a map in hand (or on my phone), I consistently make wrong turns.  This became evident in Chicago, where I ate up most of my roaming data consulting and re-consulting Google Maps as I attempted to navigate the city.

With all this in mind, you can imagine how using maps and compasses resonated with me when thinking about following directions as they relate to our life's path.  I was listening to a podcast when the speaker suggested that instead of trying to plan and plot out every step of our journey, we would be well-served to think of navigating with a compass instead.  Inviting in a practice of moving in a general direction instead of attempting to be precise and locked into a rigid or specific list of coordinates.  

While all this sounded good on paper, it has been tough to wrap my head around it in practice.  I tend towards the comfort of a well-designed plan, one that shows me the steps to take, when to take them, and what to expect as I move forward.  The idea of freely moving in a general direction that I feel is correct makes me feel uncomfortable and stokes my fear response into high gear.  I am sure this is why it has taken me so long to make some necessary decisions in my life, and why I feel like I am being tossed by alternating waves of certainty and fear.  Pushing up against the edge of my comfort zone is a very uncomfortable place to be, and for good reason.  I know first-hand that it often requires some type of pain before action takes place.  Whether that pain is physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, we tend to need something prodding us to move from thinking about change to making change happen.

I have no solution for this, as there is no solution other than the seemingly overused idea of leaning into the discomfort.  What counsel would I give a friend who was encountering the same?  Be patient, be kind, be gracious, and understanding.  Realize that this is not a short-term endeavour, and there will be many moments of conflicting emotions and sensations that are stirred up.  Expect to doubt yourself, often.  Welcome in the moments of doubt, sit with the desire to turn back and revert to old patterns.  Those old patterns have brought you to the place where you find yourself now, and the question is whether or not you want to stay put or put one foot in front of the other to see where you end up.  Most importantly, there is no need to have all the answers (or to think that you have all the answers) right away.  Clarity will come with each step taken, so take a deep breath and push forward just a little to see what comes next.