NOT ALL WHO ARE LOST WANDER…

“Not all who wander are lost” (Tolkien). Without breaking down the walls around us and stepping outside of the box – without straying from the tried and true to experience what “might be” rather than “what is” – few innovations would come to fruition. Unless we begin to wander off the beaten path – searching for things not generally thought of or methods not typically used – what we have will always be and what we do will never change. While many that wander aimlessly through life are lost, those that wander purposefully having a thirst for knowledge and a desire to make a difference in their world, are far from lost – they are leaders upon a road not yet discovered travelling towards a goal not yet identified within a world not yet fully explored. They seek what has not yet been found while finding and improving all they can as they pass through unchartered territories on their way to an undefined destination which, once attained, becomes but a resting place for them to regain their strength before wandering anew. Wanderers are the leaders of our world, and those willing to wander with them, beside them OR be led by them will be discover improbable wonders in life that were once thought to be impossible.

Conversely, not all who are lost wander. We cannot expect change unless we are willing to embrace it. Unless we consciously and intentionally move forward towards a destination or result not previously achieved we will remain mired in our reality rather than immersed within our possibilities. While some wander aimlessly because they are lost – sometimes even stumbling upon an uncharted trail – their travels are largely not planned, and their discoveries are often unintentional. Many who feel lost, however, chose to lie low awaiting rescue. Rather than making a difficult situation worse by acting in an unproven way these lost souls will seek a safe harbor within which they can ride out the storm – a dry cave in which to crawl during the rain. Those who find comfort in the status quo – who are content to live as they have always lived so that they can have all (but no more) that they have always had – are often content to exist in static mediocrity. Individuals thriving upon the status quo may function well, but they often lose out on what could be by holding on so tightly to what is. When facing a fork in the road, they seek guidance from their past – looking behind them to leverage what has worked in the past hoping to move forward on familiar trails avoiding normal detours as they move towards known destinations. When facing the unknown, some would prefer to wait for others to lead them from where they are to where they would prefer (or willingly accept) to be but will rarely strike out on their own or stray from their past as they will rarely journey on their own towards the untried and the untrue. Those who do not wander will rarely find a way that has not yet been found nor discover a concept that has yet to be imagined. They are but the worker bees within an ever-expanding hive – content to do as they are told in exchange for a planned and consistent universe regardless of the self-sacrifice or cost, seeking “something for nothing” in their lives as they wish to enjoy the fruits of other’s labors or the harvest from the plantings that others have done.

A rare few individuals are seekers striving for change, validation or innovation – willing to walk away from the safety and security of “what is” in search of things that could be (but have not yet been identified or considered). Whether they are lost or enlightened, those that wander will find things along the way not yet discovered. The difference is that those who are lost see their discoveries as an end – a final destination or place to rest – while those seeking innovation, freedom or unimagined results see their discoveries as the beginning of something entirely new from which future steps can be taken. It has been said that the first step of any journey is the hardest but perhaps the ensuing steps taken after initially setting out from what is comfortable and secure while seeking that which is unknown – those taken after realizing what is being left behind before understanding what may be gained has been established – are truly the most difficult. While many sentences make up a book, the first is often difficult to write. It is important that we know how (and when) to end each chapter of our lives so we can move on from what has been accomplished to experience what has not yet been achieved…to recognize that our lives are books made up of many chapters flowing seamlessly from one to the next. We should not expect (nor accept) life to be a “short story” but rather an epic novel that seemingly has no clear-cut beginning and no definitive end. 

Look back only long enough to know from where you came. Stop only long enough to know where you belong.  Leverage your past within your present to establish a future that will never be unveiled unless you begin to wander – to drift purposefully through life – with a single-minded focus on where you wish to be rather than living within a clearly documented history of accomplishments clearly defined within your rearview mirror. Choose life…wander purposefully…seek change…accomplish much. What more could be said or done to make yours a positive, productive, and significant world?