Getting lost to find your way

I’ve written close to 800 posts and I’ve been lost for most of them.

The first few hundred were me attempting to imitate the style of Seth Godin because I like his style.

In the next few hundred posts after that, I wrote about what I thought people wanted to hear. I have a modest number of subscribers and every time I’d lose one, I would obsess over what I may have said that was off-putting.

It wasn’t until well after 600 days of writing, hitting the “Publish” button, and working through how I felt after the fact that I learned how to write in a way that is unfazed by the desire to be someone or to please others.

The 600 posts weren’t a waste. Quite the opposite, losing myself first was a necessity.

It was only after experiencing firsthand how miserable it is to try to be someone else and to try to please a specific audience, that I was able to eventually uncover and appreciate the joy and effortlessness of thinking independently.

We often think of getting lost like it’s a terrible thing, but it’s just another opportunity for introspection and discovery.

To feel lost is an invitation to ask: “What is it about what I’m doing or how I’m approaching things that may be giving me this feeling?”

If you find yourself lost and make a point to answer this question enough times, eventually you will find your way.