“Know thyself!” Most of us have taken these words to heart and have developed a set of expectations about ourselves. These expectations pop up from time to time when say things like, “I was never very good at math.” or “I don’t like change.” These bits and pieces of our selves come together in the on-going dialogue in our head. They help us to prepare for difficult times and avoid being surprised when an old nemesis, like math, jumps in our path. Most of us have an idea about how resilient we are or how inflexible we may be when facing new circumstances. We have a set of likes and dislikes that help us sort through new choices and opportunities. We have, to some extent, an idea of how we may react to new situations or circumstances. We carry all of this into our new journey.
However, each new journey has the capacity to challenge these ideas about who we are. When a particular belief of idea has not been tested in a while, we may find that we are more or less resilient than we believed. If we encounter a truly novel circumstance, we may not have a memory or idea that can help us deal with it. But we may have an idea about how we respond to moments like these. Most new journeys are not simple one-level experiences. They touch our lives in many ways and hit a variety of ideas about who we are. In short, new journeys have a way of “messing with our mind” and may force us to re-think not only our journey but how we think of ourselves. “I must have been crazy to think I could handle this!”
New Journeys may challenge our assumptions and understandings of ourselves and the world around us. The best part of a new journey is the new self that will emerge along the road. Every new path allows us to discover new ideas and ways of seeing ourselves and the world around us. In fact, the bulk of who we believe ourselves to be grew out of our previous paths, especially the more difficult ones. We found ourselves tested and tried. We were forged in the proverbial “crucible of doubt” and emerged with a new way of thinking and seeing.
As you begin a new journey, keep your eyes open to the challenges that will come your way. Pay particular attention to those that stir up fear or anxiety. In these you will find the “new you” trying to break forth into the light of day.
However, each new journey has the capacity to challenge these ideas about who we are. When a particular belief of idea has not been tested in a while, we may find that we are more or less resilient than we believed. If we encounter a truly novel circumstance, we may not have a memory or idea that can help us deal with it. But we may have an idea about how we respond to moments like these. Most new journeys are not simple one-level experiences. They touch our lives in many ways and hit a variety of ideas about who we are. In short, new journeys have a way of “messing with our mind” and may force us to re-think not only our journey but how we think of ourselves. “I must have been crazy to think I could handle this!”
New Journeys may challenge our assumptions and understandings of ourselves and the world around us. The best part of a new journey is the new self that will emerge along the road. Every new path allows us to discover new ideas and ways of seeing ourselves and the world around us. In fact, the bulk of who we believe ourselves to be grew out of our previous paths, especially the more difficult ones. We found ourselves tested and tried. We were forged in the proverbial “crucible of doubt” and emerged with a new way of thinking and seeing.
As you begin a new journey, keep your eyes open to the challenges that will come your way. Pay particular attention to those that stir up fear or anxiety. In these you will find the “new you” trying to break forth into the light of day.
TIP - A Travel Journal
When you find yourself on a new path in life, I invite you to open up a travel journal for your trip. These will be your own personal reflections on the conversations you will be having with yourself along the way. Date and note the time of each entry. Here are a few tips to consider.
A new journey is an opportunity to learn and grow and discover a new you struggling to be born. Enjoy the journey!
Bob
- Pay attention to those experiences that evoke a deep emotional or intellectual response, one that shakes your spirit. No need for a lot of detail but capture the essence of the experience and the response in a few words or phrases.
- Make a note when different experiences evoke the same response or different responses that may grow out of similar experiences.
- Do not try and process all of this when you are on the road. Instead, take a break from time to time. Prop your feet up with a nice glass of wine or some other relaxing beverage and read back through your Travel Journal. Allow your mind to sift and sort, noticing recurring themes or situations, and drawing some tentative sense of what this may mean for you. Note these reflections in your Travel Journal and draw a box around them.
- When you feel you have completed this new journal, write a few things you have learned along the way. You may refer back to the boxed reflections for inspirations but allow yourself think outside of the boxes.
A new journey is an opportunity to learn and grow and discover a new you struggling to be born. Enjoy the journey!
Bob
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