Your Map Has Yet to Be Drawn


Icon thx Lloyd Humphreys via nounproject

Years ago, when I was first making my way out of school and into the wide world of real life, I asked an older man I respected about what I should do with my life. Maybe his gray hair made him look how I imagined God to look, but somehow I thought he knew what my next steps should be. 

His answer, though unsatisfying, turned out to be the wise one. He merely flashed his glowing, understanding smile and told me that I knew what I should do (even though I didn’t, but I didn’t tell him that).

There are plenty of people who will tell you how to be successful. They’ll tell you their stories of losing 500 pounds, making a million dollars or traveling the globe. But the problem with listening to closely to any of these gurus is that often their advice is descriptive, not perspective. They can tell you what happened to them, but it’s unlikely that the same will happen to you, even if you follow their advice to the letter. 

Nobody has ever lived your life before, with your personality, your upbringing, your context or relationships. And while it’s exciting to be an “original”, it can also be unnerving and paralyzing at times. 

If anyone hands you a map with too much confidence, it’s wise to doubt them, because your map has yet to be drawn. 

If fact, you might only be able to draw your map once you’ve walked the path.