Do you know where you’re going?

“Once you know where you’re going, it’s a lot easier to get there.”

That was a post by one of my Facebook friends this morning.  I like that… I even clicked the little “Like” button to tell the world that I like it, which I don’t often do.  When I read that statement it really hit me hard, like a slap in the face. It made me realize I am going somewhere.  I am on some kind of a journey, a quest in search of something that at this point I can only sense is out there, but not yet see or hear or touch or know.  I just haven’t figured out yet where I am going… how profound is that?

I’m not talking about a physical journey or about traveling somewhere. I’m not talking about packing our stuff up and moving my family to a new destination. I’m not a person who thinks, if I could only just live in Florida where it’s warm, or Paris where it’s romantic, or Alaska where it’s wild… or wherever… then everything would be perfect.  No, I am happy where I live, I enjoy the community we’ve chosen, I feel like I have found a place that my wife and I can raise happy, well-adjusted kids and live a peaceful, meaningful life together.  It’s not a place that is always warm or romantic or wild, it’s just a place, but it’s one that for now I am happy to call my home.

Instead I find myself on, for lack of a better word, a kind of spiritual journey. I don’t mean that in a religious sense.  In fact, I’ve never been a religious person.  I’m not sure I even mean that in a philosophical sense.  Just in a sense of finding myself, figuring out what makes me tick, what makes me

Which path are you following?

happy on a day-to-day basis, whether that be through work or play or lifestyle or even through writing this blog. I would guess a lot of people are on or have been on a similar journey and that many have just decided to put finding the conclusions on the back-burner, to bury it all somewhere into their sub-conscious, to hide it from the “viewing public”.  On the other hand, I know there are a lot of people who find it easy, that discovery of what drives them.  For some it’s as simple as having a few favorite TV shows, or rooting for a favorite sports team.  For others it’s doing things that give back to the community. For many it’s strictly based on earning money. There is nothing right or wrong about any of those motivations and maybe, ultimately I will focus in on something similar. But right now, it’s not clear to me. I know it’s out there, but I haven’t figured out yet where I am going.

My wife and I watched a movie last night called The Rookie, starring Dennis Quaid.  I liked that, to be able to watch a movie together. We weren’t snuggled on the couch… well, actually I was, but she was sitting at the table doing some work on her laptop. But we were together and the kids were in bed and that’s a rare moment these days. Anyhow, if you’re not familiar with the film, Google it, or watch it even. Just know that it was a pretty good movie about a guy reliving his dream of playing in the major leagues and although it was based on a true story, it was also Hollywood at its best… a feel good story, a follow your dreams story, a happy ending story.  Was it realistic?  Well… it did happen… but no, in reality, the odds of a dream like that coming to fruition are slim to none.  Did it add fuel to the fire that is driving my journey?  Yes, I think it did. Lots of things do these days, movies, songs, people that cross my path during the day.  When you are unsettled, you look at every detail differently and the seemingly un-important events that fill your days suddenly become more meaningful and significant.  Those are the clues that give people the courage to make crucial life changes and to move forward into those places where they believe they are meant to be.

There is a moment in the film where the lead character’s father says to him, “its okay to think about what you want to do… until it’s time to start doing what you were meant to do.”  That’s an important distinction and something we should all think about.  Seriously, think about that!  Now THAT is profound, and from a Hollywood movie, no less!  Imagine truly and honestly believing you were MEANT to be doing something, whether it be a career or a volunteer activity or a hobby.  I do know there is a whole list of things that I could say I think I might WANT to be doing, most of them silly and impractical or involving laying on the beach with a margarita in my hand.  So, I guess what I need to be trying to figure out is “what was I meant to be doing?”  That’s a terribly difficult challenge for most of us to figure out, and if someone asked me that question right this minute I wouldn’t have a clue how to answer.  In fact, I’m not sure I have ever known, or even thought I have ever known, the answer to that question.  Is there realistically even an answer to that question? I don’t know, but apparently it is one of the crossroads on this journey that I am on.  If I could just figure out where I am going, it would sure be a lot easier to get there!

How about you?  Are you doing what you were MEANT to be doing?  Do you know what you were MEANT to be doing? Do you know where you are going?