Written by Tracey Lemming

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

I like to know what to expect.  If I am going somewhere unfamiliar (or even familiar), I like to set my map so I know exactly when I need to leave in order to arrive on time, the best route, and where the traffic may be.  If I’m going to a new restaurant, I like to read the menu online so I’m prepared on what to order, and read the reviews so I know others opinions.

We live in a world where so much can be anticipated, so much can be planned.  I once was talking with my friend Amanda about how most people go to the same 25 places, even though we live in a world with so many options.  We go to the same Target, the same Post Office, and park in the same spots. Think about it. When was the last time you went to a new store or park, just for the fun of it?

Our minds like routines, and we feel like we are more efficient and prepared when we know what to expect.  But where does the growth and beauty lie? It lies in the unknown. It lies in pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone and trying something new.  It’s in the space to explore and learn. After awhile, the unknown becomes our new routine. It becomes our new normal. Then the question is, what next?

Sometimes we choose to try the unknown, but sometimes it’s forced on us.  Our world falls apart as we know longer know the exact path to follow. What once fit, no longer does.  We lose a loved one or suffer a loss, and our world changes. We can’t go back, even though we want to. We are forced to navigate a new path.  The person we were is no longer there, and others don’t always understand. How can they? They are forced to navigate a new path as well, as you become a new version of yourself.  They expect you to act in a familiar way, and your new way of being throws them for a loop as well. Maybe they reach out, maybe they don’t. Maybe they give advice when it’s not asked.  But listening to the wisdom of your own soul is the only knowing that you need. You know that there’s a lesson in this all. You know that your story can help someone, and that even though you can’t always see it, there is beauty in the unknown.