Looking Back. Looking in.
I knew we were lost. But, we didn’t want to admit it. We were sharing lively conversation, enjoying the sights, and just taking our time.
As afternoon turned to evening, we realized it was time to head home. Even though we were teenagers out on a Saturday, we knew our parents would worry about us if we stayed in the woods too late.
But the challenge ahead of us became dauntingly evident. We didn’t exactly know how to find our way back to the main road.
We tried to simply go “back” the way we came; but we’d gone fairly deep into the wooded area and we were turned around. Everything looked the same and the ground was dry, so there weren’t exactly “steps” to follow.
The sun seemed to be setting faster than usual.
My friend and hiking buddy had an idea. “Let’s just go back to each of the lookout points we visited. Eventually, we’ll find where to go next.”
This would mean we’d have to hike for a longer amount of time. Going back to each site was definitely more ground than cutting straight to the road. But, the lookout points were easier to find and were short distances apart. It was our only hope as night was fast approaching.
Thankfully, we weren’t far from our most recent stop. From there, we traced the sights (or what we could make of them) and even recalled our conversations.
“I remember seeing that view!”
“And, that’s when you tried jumping over that log and didn’t make it!” [insert boyish laughter]
“That’s where we sat and talked about college decisions!”
Sure enough, we made it back to the road, just a few feet from where we’d parked.
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Knowing what to do next usually begins by looking back or looking inward, not looking ahead. Study where you came from and things will always become more clear.
This is why taking a Leap starts with Discovery…and specifically, with Inspiration.
Paying attention to what has inspired you – caught your eye, piqued your interest, caused you to pause – is a great clue for what you value and where you ought to go. It fuels you through ups and downs by reminding you where you came from and even why you began.
In the Leap Kit… we break it down into four prompts:
Stories or Media
People I admire and respect
Some of the times I felt in my element
Things I wish were different in the world
Here’s an example taken from my own Leap Map:
Next up… Future Me.
Once you look back, then you can look ahead to where you hope to be someday (Future Me). But don’t worry, we’ll get there.
For now, start with inspiration…
