In the 40 weeks leading up to my 40th birthday, I’m exploring 40 things I’ve learned in 40 years. Here’s to embracing life’s wonders & sharing the journey! This blog is #2 of 40, to join me on the rest of my journey click here.

It’s ok to get lost! 

One of the things I used to do with my mom and my grandma was go for a ride in the car without an exact plan on where we were heading. We called it “getting lost”. The idea was to just see where the road would take us. Sometimes, we knew the destination but not exactly the route we would take. Sometimes it meant just being open to stops we might find along the way. Sometimes it really meant just driving around with no map or plan. We would sing songs and chat and explore. As I got older, I found I still loved to have these kinds of adventures. I don’t mind moments of getting lost and seeing where I end up.

In many ways it’s hard for us to get lost in this world these days. We have GPS on our phones and in our cars. Our phones track us, our watches track us, and even family members (with permission) are able to view our locations. These are all amazing features for safety! But maybe it prevents us from giving up some control and just seeing where we end up. Though, I will say, the GPS gives us an assurance that we can figure out how to get back home. So, maybe it could give us the gift of feeling more free to get lost, because we can always find our way home.

So much of our lives are about the destination and the most direct or efficient way to get to the end result. And if we get lost or we take a detour, we might see it as a failure rather than a piece of the whole journey. We hear that saying so often about how life isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey. I think this simple act of being open to getting lost and having these little adventures as a family was the reminder that the destination really wasn’t the main goal or even if it was, there was fun to be had along the way. It’s cliche, but also, isn’t it so important!?

When we get lost, we find new places and new sites we wouldn’t have known about. When we get lost, we have to be more aware of what’s around us to help us find our way back. When we get lost we find there may be other ways to get to where we wanted to go.

Whether we are actually lost on a drive, or if we’re feeling lost in life, these times of getting lost can be a valuable and transformative experience. It opens up opportunities for self-discovery and exploration. In the moments of wandering into the unknown, we often stumble upon unexpected treasures and unfamiliar perspectives. Getting lost challenges our sense of control and invites us to embrace uncertainty, teaching resilience and adaptability. It encourages us to rely on our intuition, problem-solving skills, and perhaps the kindness of strangers or our community! The process of finding our way back or discovering new paths enhances our awareness and maybe even expands our mental, emotional, and spiritual maps.

In the last few months of my grandmother’s life we would get in the car and get “lost” together. But, this time, we usually had one destination in mind, Edmonds Beach. We would drive 30 – 40 mins to get to the beach on Puget Sound. We went for the salt air, the sound of the waves, the people watching, watching the ferry come in and leave, and the views of the mountains. I took the picture included in this post as I marveled at what she might be thinking about as she gazed upon that view! This time was such a gift to both of us. I was so glad I could give her such a sense of adventure and freedom, even as this life’s adventure was coming to an end.

So, it’s ok to get lost. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It’s ok to not have all the answers and to go bravely into times of unknown and searching. It’s ok to embrace this life as an adventure. See where you end up! And maybe do all that with some good music and some good company!

Here’s to you Grandma for teaching me the value of getting lost! 

Reflection Questions:

• When is a time that you got lost and found something you wouldn’t have found if you didn’t get lost?
• What’s a favorite drive or adventure you like to do?
• What song do you listen to in the car on an adventure?

Songs: (click on the song to hear it!)

Compass – Lady Antebellum – I love this song because it talks about letting your heart be your compass and it will guide you!

Keep Me In The Moment – Jeremy Camp – This is a Christian song that talks about the importance of staying in the moment, letting go of some of the control and just being open to what life brings and the small moments that make up a beautiful life.