Nobody likes poor visibility. Early morning heavy fog, dew that won’t clear off the windshield, blinding sunlight in your face. An obstruction of sight can be terrifying in some circumstances.
There are other times when you find yourself surrounded by haze that removes the sense of security that you once carried. You begin questioning direction, time, location, distance. Confidence fades and a sense of aimlessness rests heavily on your shoulders. Anxiety enters your mind and you start to question your ability to carry on. Amazingly, all of those would evaporate instantly if you were able to snap your fingers and clear the air around you.
Clarity. It’s gift we take for granted far too often. I know I have. To have a clear direction and confidence that you are making progress is something that seems inherent to adults who are navigating daily life, however, the truth is a lot of us are lost. Faking it til we make it. I have found a very small amount of my peers have been pushing forward without any distress, distraction, or redirection. The principal I am highlighting transfers across a variety of areas, but the core concept is the same – we find security in clarity.
If you’re hiking in an unfamiliar place and a heavy fog settles in, it becomes unnerving pretty fast. If you’re working on a project or with a team and leadership and decision are absent, it is frustrating and unproductive. If you are trying to make a major life decision and there aren’t signs pointing towards the right path, you can fall into analysis paralysis and feel stuck.
We all want to be confident that we are doing the right thing or that we are at least moving in the right direction. Like I’ve mentioned in previous articles, we get the motivation to press on, even against the tides, when we see light at the end of the tunnel. However, when you feel aimless and begin wandering, the fatigue and worry can get the best of you. In the wilderness, this could mean death.
Pulling back and considering the other areas we can be wandering, literal death may not occur, but other things most definitely will “die”. Relationships require some sort of affirmation. Good work needs to be recognized. State of limbo is not a place of occupancy. Worry and anxiety beat us up physically. We need clarity. We need stability. Without it, our foundations crumble.
As we break past the edge of the fog or as the sunlight pierces through the dark of the night, we begin to see the things once concealed. Confidence is regained. Excitement fills our chests to conquer what is laid out before us. Strength to accomplish greatness builds in our bodies and we can move forward with focus to achieve.
This is a gift. One that goes unnoticed until it’s gone. I have experienced the backend of this recently and it is a scary place to find yourself. Remember back to your childhood when pure darkness terrified you. The first sliver of light that cut the shadows away and allowed you to see outlines and objects that were once monsters in the dark was a rush of relief and comfort to a mind filled with fear. The truth is the same whether you’re 4, 44, or 84. To find peace is to see clearly.
If you have that gift, cherish it. Look for those who are fumbling in the dark and lead them out. Share the beauty that lies ahead as they cut through the fog.
-Mitty