Let me guess. You finally got bored with living life as it comes and asked yourself, “what is the purpose of my life?”
Or, the day has arrived when frustration has finally taken over your nerves to force you to find your calling.
Or, you have been tired of trying various pursuits but still feel lost and cannot figure out what to do with your life.
The feeling of being lost is not the best in the world but surely it can turn out to be a gamechanger for you. Why? Because now you have realized that you are in the middle of the Sahara and want to get out of there. And that’s good!
The first thing you need to get out of Sahara is to be aware of the fact that you are there! But once you have realized it, it gives you the energy to find a way out.
Ideally, the feeling of being lost compels a person to find his true calling and thus turns out to be a blessing in disguise.
But usually, it overtakes the senses of the person and he ends up doing the exact things that put him there in the first place. And thus, makes the matter worse.
You have to make sure that the energy that comes up with this feeling turns into motivation and not desperation. That is why…
3 things you need to realize when feeling lost
1. It is only a phase of life
You may be 20, in your 40s, or even older, this feeling isn’t a “life imprisonment” to bound you for the rest of your life. You can always step up to get out of it just like many successful people who found their calling in the latter part of their life.
Have you heard of Tim and Nina Zagat?
They used to work as corporate lawyers till they both reached the age of 39. But then they decided to start a business out of their hobby which was nothing related to what they have done till now.
They started Zagat Survey by casually asking friends about local restaurants in New York City. They published their first guide in 1982. Two years later, upon seeing a tremendous response, they both quit their jobs to pursue this business full-time.
Fast forward to 2000, the Zagat couple was honored as Entrepreneurs of the year by Ernst & Young and the Harvard Business School. Next year, they were inducted into New York University’s Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.
The point of this story is that it is fine to feel lost as long as you take it as a rough patch of life and are willing to do something about it.
2. You don’t need to have everything figured out
Ever made a plan to do something and when you execute it, the reality turns out to be completely different? Life is notorious for its uncertainties, making it almost impossible to figure out beforehand.
That is why you don’t have to have all the answers before starting the pursuit of your calling and getting rid of the feeling of being lost.
Don’t get me wrong. Planning isn’t worthless. But you need to have room for uncertainty. You have to get comfortable with handling unexpected situations.
All you need at this point is a direction and a rough plan to move ahead.
3. You can overcome it
The end of every negative feeling starts with believing that you can overcome it. And the path is easier to cross than you think.
But you need to be honest with yourself, learn to face the truth, and do whatever it takes to make it right.
***
Though no pill for it can give you an instant remedy, there are some steps you can follow to overcome the feeling of being lost.
5 things to do when feeling lost
1. Breathe deeply and realize that it is fine
Breathing isn’t just a thing you do to keep yourself alive. It is the most important activity you can utilize to maintain your cool and keep your senses in their proper place.
Often when feeling lost, impatience takes over which can make you do even more stupid things. So just relax and breathe deeply.
Realize that it is fine because you have already come up to find a solution which makes you a step ahead of those who haven’t.
Take deep breaths until you regain control of your being.
.
.
.
.
.
Have you done it? Great! This puts you in a better position to think clearly and make good decisions.
2. Give yourself time to heal
Getting your life back on track isn’t a sprint, it is a one-man marathon. So why rush life? Go out for a nice refreshing walk. Listen to your weird playlist which makes you feel energized. Give yourself all the love need.
Being harsh, beating the crap out of yourself, or cursing yourself isn’t going to be of any help here. It may even do just the opposite.
Remember, you are your remedy. And if ever in this world happened any healing, it happened out of love and not by abuse.
3. Write your feelings down
Writing your feelings has many advantages.
- It releases your mind from keeping these negative feelings. Once you have written them, your mind does not need to remember them. This puts you in a sense of ease and gives room for positive feelings.
- It gives you more clarity because once you see your feelings in front of yourself, as opposed to in your head, you give your demons an image.
- It puts you in a better position to make a decision because writing makes you more clear-headed.
Asking yourself these questions will help. Be honest, breathe, and take your time: –
- What am I feeling right now? (I know you are feeling lost, but there underlie even more emotions)
- What exactly is causing me to have these feelings?
- Why am I not able to have a sense of fulfillment with what am I doing right now?
- Why do I feel lost?
4. Take charge and make decisions
Going where life takes you is one of the biggest reasons for feeling lost. You may not feel control over yourself or your destiny which in turn makes you feel like you are in the woods, ready to be eaten alive by predators at any moment.
But the good news is that you always have a choice. Isn’t it a better option to take charge of your life than to be controlled by destiny?
So snatch the remote control of your life from destiny and make ruthless decisions. Answer yourself these questions: –
- What is the purpose of my life?
- What gives me the most fulfillment?
- What do I love so much that I can make it my life pursuit?
Now that you know your calling, you need to have a plan to reach from where you are to where you want to be. Remember that a rough plan will do for now because surely you will have to tweak it as you go along.
5. Follow your plan
Just being equipped with a life purpose and a rough plan will surely ease off this negative feeling. But the battle is only half won till yet. The most significant part is to follow your plan until you can finally say to yourself, “I have made it!”
The good news is that you don’t need to fulfill your purpose to feel happy. Once you start successfully executing your plan and make some progress, it provides you with a sense of control. And that is enough to send a delight to your whole being.
So make this purpose your topmost priority and tweak your routine such that it supports your purpose.
Conclusion
The fact that you are feeling lost shows that you haven’t gotten numb from the pains of life. And that’s a sign that you are doing good.
Sometimes this feeling is necessary to direct us to our correct place. That is why I am glad you felt it and came up to find a solution.
Quick question – Have you tried taking deep breaths?
Let’s Connect Beyond
Hey buddy, I hope you found this post valuable. But Make in Yourself isn’t limited to this blog. It goes beyond this where I provide you with bite-sized digestible insights so that you can grow on the go.
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