What does it mean to feel lost in life?
Here are some possibilities:
- You feel like you have no direction or purpose.
- You feel like the future is completely uncertain.
- You feel caught between other people’s expectations and your own feelings.
- You’ve experienced a tremendous life change and don’t know how to adapt.
- You don’t know what you should do, who you should be, or how you should go about living.
Feeling lost is something anyone trying to live life to the fullest will likely experience. It is a natural result of trying to grow and change for the better.
So, if you’re feeling like you don’t know which path to take, let’s see how you can find your way.
1. What Do You Care About Most?
Maybe you’re feeling lost because you don’t know what you want to be doing.
“Finding your life’s purpose” is a big endeavor, and it’s a lot to ask for someone who’s feeling lost. So, for now, just focus on what’s in front of you. Ask yourself this:
“What do I care about?”
What do you see that lights your soul on fire? What makes you angry or moves you to tears? What’s a problem you would like to see solved in the world? What would you be a part of if you knew it would make a difference? This could be just about anything, including…
- A political movement.
- Solving equations.
- Listening to other people’s problems and helping alleviate their pain.
- Serving your country.
- Making art.
- Trying to win a Gold medal at the Olympics.
- Taking care of a loved one.
You could care about the grandest, most existential issues facing the world, or you could care about the stray cat you see on your way to work that looks malnourished.
Either way, these give you hints as to what you should “do.” Or rather, what might guide you out of feeling lost and provide you fulfillment.
2. What Kind of Future Would You Like to See?
Yes, things are tough right now. Many people feel lost and unsure about what the future will bring. So, how do you escape feeling lost when there are so many factors out of your control?
For one thing, even when times are peaceful, and the economy is booming, and people are thriving, the future is never promised. No one has a full grasp of the forces of the world. All we can do is be prepared and hope for the best.
The type of future you’d like to see comes down, in many ways, to how you choose to conduct yourself in the world. All any individual can control is their own actions. So, consider what you value, and proceed with it.
This could mean…
- Being more kind and compassionate, even toward those you don’t agree with.
- Being open-minded.
- Becoming the person you always needed in your life but never had.
- Using social media platforms to be a positive influence.
If you’re thinking, “But I’m only one person, and these little actions aren’t going to make a meaningful difference,” then consider this:
Little actions are not so little.
Your positive habits could inspire other people to adopt positive habits. And the ones who disparage what you’re doing could be forced to take a hard look at themselves.
One kind action toward a stranger could change the trajectory of their entire day and maybe their perception of humanity.
This all happens one day at a time, one action at a time. You won’t feel so lost if you focus only on what is right in front of you and let the rest fall where it may.
3. Who Do You Let Guide Your Life?
Every individual has a unique history. They each have their own experiences, relationships, and cultural influences. But regardless of who you are or where you’re from, people are going to tell you how to live your life.
Feeling lost often means being in conflict with what you “ought” to do and what you “want” to do.
To navigate these waters, you need to ask yourself more questions:
- What does it mean to be a good person?
- What do I truly want?
- What if I don’t want what other people want?
- What if I knew, beyond any doubt, that a traditional way of living would never work for me, and that I would be sacrificing my entire life if I went down that road?
- What will the people in my life say when they see how I choose to live? Will they even care? Should I even care?
- Am I missing something important? Are people giving me good advice that I should be taking? Is what I want now going to be what I want in the future?
These are very personal questions, and their answers will vary greatly between individuals.
To find answers, consider what Ralph Waldo Emerson had to say in his essay Self Reliance:
“My life is not an apology, but a life. It is for itself and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain, so it is genuine and equal than that it should be glittering and unsteady.”
Your life is not a show for other people.
It is yours, and the only judgment on your deathbed will be between you and yourself.
If you feel lost now, keeping the end of your life in perspective, not in a morbid way, but in a guiding way, will help you realize how you should live today.
Feeling Lost in Life Is Temporary
If you’re still feeling lost in life after a period of deep introspection, then just give it time. Stay healthy. Be there for your friends and loved ones. Go to work. Let your mind process what it needs to, and revisit your questions in the future.
Otherwise, remember to ask yourself…
- What is it I care about most, and how can I contribute to or become involved with these causes?
- What kind of future would I like to see, and how can I build toward that in my everyday life?
- Who’s really running the show in my life? Am I refusing helpful advice, or am I letting others dictate what I do because I’m too afraid to take a different path and learn on my own?
You won’t feel lost forever. Just do your best, and take it one day at a time.
