(#048) Renewal and the Man at Sea

Sometimes Not Knowing Where We Are Means We Are Exactly Where We Should Be

⏱️ 1 min read

September 22, 2020, Badaling (Beijing, China)

Renewal is not a necessity in life.

Nothing in human biology or science describes a hormonal or neurological pathway that pushes us to outgrow our identity and sail toward the next one. And then do it twice in a lifetime. Or three times. Or constantly.

Some people choose to change.
Others change without realizing it.

Perhaps most people live fractured lives—never fully comfortable with themselves, yet overwhelmed by the idea of breaking free from the existence they know.

One thing is certain: change is messy.

Those who are lucky know what they’re trying to escape—or leave behind.

Many others feel as though they’re living someone else’s life, perhaps the life of who they used to be, but they can’t quite put it into words. Let alone describe what they’re truly looking for. Or where to find it.

The silver lining is this: for those who felt their world was too small, and had the courage to untie the rope and drift into open waters, feeling unsure about the navigation ahead is perfectly normal.

It’s not a flaw, and it doesn’t reflect negatively on them. It’s exactly how it should feel.

It’s a sign they’re exploring a new gait—learning a new walk.

Falling is not failing.
The only sure way to avoid falling is to crawl.

Renewal is exploration in all its grandeur: an intuition of what might be out there, a first draft of a plan to find it, and a tentative selection of tools and supplies to face what is to come—known and unknown.

In our age, we’ve mapped every corner of the world, but that doesn’t mean there’s no space left for courage or for living larger than life.

Quite the contrary.
That space is inside.

L.F

(Read this article on Medium)