Happy Power Monday! Can you believe it is the 50th post of Power Monday! I really don't feel like I have written 50 of these. Strange. But what is also strength is that on Thursday it will be Strength and Sunshine's 1 year blogiversary/birthday/whatever you want to call it! I whole year of blogging. 5 days a week! Wow. But I will save all that for Thursday, for now I have other things to discuss 😉
Random transition, but let's get lost for a second. I am sure we all have many at least one story of us getting lost at sometime in our life. I'm talking physically and mentally lost. One is easier to identify than the other. If I find myself in a place I have never been before and know I shouldn't be, well I can clearly positively say I am physically lost. One f the most recent times I have gotten physically lost was last year around this time, when I went to take the SATs. I was taking them at a totally different high school than my own that I had never been to before. Since you never know exactly how long the test will end up taking, I followed my mom over in a separate car. Thus I was paying close attention to the back roads we were on and trying to memorize my way so I could make it back on my own when the test was done. This was a pretty stupid undertaking to take on. Filling up my brain with visual snapshots of the roads and turns while then having to take the grueling 4 hour long SAT.
Well by the time the test was done, I was exhausted and not ready to drive back home. But I hoped in the car anyway and pulled out of the parking lot. Right off the bat there was a complicated intersection. I thought I knew the way. Turn left on that street right there. Well no, I should have turned left. So I was driving for awhile thinking that the roads looked the same, but then I knew something was up when I never came to the next turn I needed to make. The road kept going on and on, but I kept telling myself that the turn would come up eventually. But in my head I knew I had went the wrong way and I had no idea how to go back. With my heart pounding, my stomach growling, my stress-levels through the roof, I pulled off into a church parking lot, called my mom and started crying.
Thankfully she was able to meet me at a half-way point and then I followed her back home...all the way in the other direction. Needless to say, I thought I could take on this task, but I couldn't. I was lost. A lot of us feel lost mentally too. Where are we now? Which direction should we take? How do I get back? Should you trust your instincts and go back, go left, go right, or keep pushing forward? With these questions comes mental conflict, but sometimes it can also be good to get lost. If we didn't deal with getting lost and we would end up stuck in the same place, in the same routine, possibly missing out on something new.
Now driving the wrong way home isn't necessarily good and I didn't find anything new, but at least I learned how to deal with the situation and get help. Sometimes that is the hardest part. Admitting we need help, a little guidance. We find ourselves somewhere we don't want to be, we should seek some guidance. If we find ourselves somewhere new, but unexpected we should embrace it and look for the advantages of this new place.
It is okay to be lost and I think we all should. It really makes us think and pushes us out of our comfort zone. Sometimes you just need to pull into a church parking lot and call your mom and cry, other times you might be able write down a plan of action and slowing take steps to a new more clear path. Sometimes we need help and other times we can do it ourselves. Getting lost isn't really that bad. It may seem that way in the moment and we may have panic attacks. But we always find a way, we always find clarity.
If your lost right now or suck in a place you don't want t o be, just stop and stand still for a second. Take a deep breath, and reevaluate the situation. Do you need help or can you do it on your own. Are you sure you want to go back or are you ready for a new adventure. Try something daring a take another step forward. Don't call yourself lost if you are really only in a new place, a new situation. Make that situation your new path, the right road. You may be surprised where you end up and what you learn in the end.
P.S. Did you miss my post from yesterday? It was this month's Recipe ReDux!
So tell me:
+ When was the last time you got lost? Did you ask for help or did you continue forward and find your way?
+ When you stuck would you rather go back to how things were or would you rather move on to something new?
+ Since we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Power Monday, would you all be interested in turning Power Monday into a link-up? I've been thinking about it for awhile and I think it would be a great way to put out some motivating posts and share a great thought-provoking start to the week! Let me know!
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Megan
I have a pretty good sense of direction. And with modern technology I find that it is even harder to get lost. I can't remember the last time I got lost!
Strength and Sunshine
How about emotionally? That's what I'm talking about!
Becca
I think making this into a hop would be a good idea. Could be a good motivator for people who want to live a healthy, active life. 🙂
Strength and Sunshine
Thank you for the input! I think I will implement it in a few weeks! I hope to see you linking up 😉
Miss Angie
I like to get myself lost a lot... It's strange, but sometimes I like to just go explore new roads and see where they lead. Sometimes I get tired of the same old drive home from work that I just have to try a new road to shake things up!
Strength and Sunshine
Haha, I do that too! Taking the same route to school every morning got so boring, so I decided to switch it up and make things more interesting!
Kristy @ Southern In-Law
Jesse is ALWAYS getting lost (I mean, you can take him to the local shops and tell him to walk home and he probably won't know which way to go haha) whilst I have a really good sense of direction - I think it's just another way we match up perfectly haha.
As for going back to the way things were vs starting fresh, I don't know what I'd choose! I tend to settle into new situations really easily these days so starting fresh could be fine, but I love our life!
Strength and Sunshine
Hehe, yes you get to be his navigator! I bet he is ever thankful for that 😉
Sometimes/most of the times, it is best to just get used to the new situation and make it work. It allows us to grow!
Amberly
Love this post!!! Thanks for sharing!
Strength and Sunshine
Thanks for reading 🙂
Nichole
I love the connection you made in this post about being lost in more ways then just one. And how you brought up the aspect of getting help and it being one of the hardest things because it really can be. Wonderful post girl!
Strength and Sunshine
Thank you Nicole! I'm glad one person fully understood this post! I think getting help when your physically lost is so much easier than when you are mentally, right?
Bellesouth
I can think of many times in my life in which I’ve been lost. There was one time when I experienced a horrible sexual assault, and although I immediately sought help from my therapist and a crisis center, I shut down everywhere else – mainly because some of my closest friends didn’t believe me. But finally I opened up to my mother, to friends I could trust – and eventually I was able to get the help. No one should ever be alone in something like that. Keep talking and someone will listen.
Strength and Sunshine
Wow, I can't even imagine how hard that must have been. That is the biggest example of reaching out to accept help and moving toward into a better place! XOXO
reach-yourpeak
oh I get lost all the time – which is why I rely too much on Google Maps lol. The last time I got lost was probably when I took a trip down to DC with my boyfriend. we didn’t have service so we had to figure out how to get from Georgetown to DC on our own!
PS – a link up would be cool!
Strength and Sunshine
Well at least your in the same city 😉 I usual never get physically list since anywhere new I'm usually with my mom or someone who knows a hell of a lot better than me to navigate!
Pearl 'Penny' Lane
The last time I got lost is right now. I'm working my way back from the unexpected twists and turns in my road. I tried asking for help but realized I need to power through this and create a new, more supportive inner circle.
Although my trip has at times been very painful, I would not want to go back to how things were because I can see how much better my life could be.
I just discovered you through SITS but would definitely be interested in a Power Monday link-up!
Strength and Sunshine
Your strong girl! You can work your way through it, I am here routing you on 🙂 It's great that you already realize the potential that there can be when you come out on the other side!
Don't be a stranger, I hope to see you back here 🙂 XOXO
Elvira
Getting lost while driving doesn't really scare me (anymore). Somehow I just end up at the right place, and I'm not afraid to ask for directions when needed. To translate that to my whole life is way more difficult (but I do quite right… the mothering thing has learned me to trust my guts).
Strength and Sunshine
I'm sure with mothering we all get/or will get stuck! But it allows us to grow and really work through situations.
moderngirlnutrition
you're such a talented writer!
Strength and Sunshine
Wow, haha thank you love! I felt this was a bit rambly, but I'm glad I got the point across 🙂
Erin (@girlgoneveggie)
Change is hard for me but pushing myself out of my comfort zone has really enhanced my life for the better. I'd like to think I'm better at embracing the unknown instead of reverting to the past like I used to.
Strength and Sunshine
It is hard and can be so scary! But like you said it makes us better and enhances our life with new challenges and experiences!
Carla
Ive been lost the majority of my time in the BAY AREA.
and it has been so so so good for me.
Strength and Sunshine
That's what I'm talkin about Carla! 😉
Lori Musselman
I've been driving for a while now and I still hate the fear of getting lost in the car. The important thing, like you said, is to learn from it and keep going. We can't let our fear of getting lost keep us from living life :). Great post!
Strength and Sunshine
Right! Sometimes we need to get lost to really find/learn something!
jillconyers
I can't remember ever being lost. To be truly lost and no idea where to go would be scary.
Strength and Sunshine
Well I applaud you for that! But I think we all get "lost" sometime in out lives 😉