Nature's GPS

A few weeks ago I was in Chicago to attend a conference with a coworker. When we left the conference my coworker was driving and I was navigating. I had written directions, a map and a GPS on my lap. Our course was simple; we needed to make three turns to get onto the highway, a left and two rights. After that, it was a straight shot to home.

Ten minutes after leaving the conference, we were lost on Michigan Avenue. After crossing Wacker Driver for the fourth time, we decided to stop trying to figure things out ourselves and just trust our handy little GPS, whom we had been ignoring until now. Good thing we did or we would probably still be winding in and out of the crowded Chicago streets, trying to find a way out of the rush hour traffic.

This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten lost in the city. I have a terrible sense of direction. One wrong turn, and I can’t tell the difference between north and south. Eventually, I become hopelessly lost and have to stop and ask for help.

I try to avoid mishaps by spending some time studying a map and planning my route. But despite my preparation, I often end up following a road I didn’t expect before I can get back on track. Sometimes I never get back on track and end up following a totally different path than I had planned.

It’s funny how an experience on the roadways can make one reflect about experiences in life.

When I was sixteen, I mentally charted the course I wanted my life to take. First, I would attend a prominent and prestigious university. Then I’d take a fabulous and high paying job in an exhilarating metropolis. I’d live in a stylish condo in a trendy neighborhood. I’d eat at elegant restaurants and attend extravagant events. Marriage and a family were not part of the picture.

I had it all mapped out. At least I thought I did. But then, like a road trip to the mountains that ends at the beach instead I didn't end up where I thought I was going. A few roadblocks, a couple of detours, and some new and more promising paths, caused me to revise my route.

First, I found that my initial choice of profession didn’t match my strengths. Engineering was not my thing. I made a course correction and went to law school.

As time went on, I reevaluated my position on marriage and family. I fell in love four times - first with Ken, then with our three children.

Finally, I discovered that city life wasn’t as exciting and glamorous as I had imaged. I adjusted my route and ended up in a small town in the Midwest.

With all of these changes, detours and course corrections, you would think I would feel lost. But I don’t. I feel found. And in the process of getting found, I’ve learned a few things about the road of life.

I’ve learned that despite all of our planning and preparations, once you are on the road you may discover some unexpected twists and turns. Some may lead to wonderful and unexpected surprises. Others may lead to dark and lonely alleys. But regardless of the where they may go, the detours will happen and you just have to accept them.

Another lesson I’ve learned is that when you do get lost, you don’t have to find your way back on your own. It’s OK to stop and ask for help.

And the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that when you're feeling lost, you may need to let go and trust something or someone who has a superior point of view. Some people dub it a gut instinct. Some say it’s a Higher Power. Other’s call it God.

That's why I’ve chucked my map and pitched my itinerary. I’m taking the roads as they come. And I'm trusting in nature’s GPS to make sure that I get where I need to go.