Imagine you are Lost

Let’s go for a walk. Put on your shoes and head outside. But now, as you begin to leave your home in the distance, imagine that you are no longer in your familiar neighborhood. You are no longer just a few steps away from your front door. Think about a city or town that you have always wanted to travel to, a place that is unfamiliar to you, where you don’t speak the language and you don’t know anyone. Do you have a place in mind? Now, imagine you are lost on the streets of that city or town. Stop walking and close your eyes for a moment. Imagine the street in front of you. Don’t worry about making it true to real life. However you imagine this place to look is how it will look for this meditation. Get a clear picture in your mind. Are there tall buildings? Maybe there are small houses. Are there plants around you? What about the street below your feet. Is it made of pavement? Cobblestone? Gravel? Now turn your head upwards. Is it daytime or night? Cloudy or sunny? Create a picture of the street you are about to walk down. Focus on it. Now, open your eyes, and continue walking.

Try to keep the image you created in mind as you walk. If at any point you feel you have lost sight of it, feel free to take a break, close your eyes, and imagine it again.

Take a step forward. You are lost. Everything around you is unfamiliar. There is nobody around that you can talk to. You don’t know how to get back to a familiar place. Think about the emotions running through your mind. Do you feel afraid? Do you feel confident that you can find your way back to a familiar place? Continue walking. You don’t know where you are going, but you know that you must move forward.

As you walk, think about the emotions you just felt as you imagined being lost. Are there any situations in your life that are causing similar emotions at the moment? Do you feel lost in any way?

Return to your imaginary place. As you walk, you notice a sign with a familiar name on it. You recognize it as the name of the neighborhood you are staying in. You cannot read the rest of the sign, so you still don’t know exactly where to go, but this has given you a bit of guidance. How do you feel? Are you still afraid? Do you feel hopeful? Relieved? Really notice the emotions as you continue to walk.

Think about your life again. Is there anything that could be guiding you, if only in a small way? Contemplate this as you walk.

Return to your imaginary place. You come across a train station. You are not sure if the trains are running, or if they will take you where you need to go. There are people at the station, but you know there is a language barrier between them and you. Think about your emotions and your inclinations. Are you inclined to ask someone for help, to find a way to communicate? Are you inclined to try to figure it out on your own? Are you inclined to get on a train? Think as you continue to walk.

In your life, are there people around you who are willing to listen and try to help? Do you feel like the people around you don’t understand your situation? Do you feel like you don’t want to burden them? Do you feel the most comfortable working through situations on your own?

Return to your imaginary place. You have discovered that the train will not take you where you need to go. But you have spotted a familiar landmark, a building that you recognize. You walk towards it. Although this building is far away from the place you are staying, you know which direction you need to walk. The walk will be long, but you know you can do it. What emotions do you feel at this moment? Are you happy that you at least know the direction to walk? Are you sad that you are not closer to a familiar place? Notice your feelings, but understand that regardless of how you feel, you must keep moving forward. Notice the way your body feels as you walk. How does it feel when your feet touch the ground? Is there wind brushing your skin? Do your arms move? Now, notice the physical space directly in front of you, in real life. Look down. Notice the blades of grass, the color of the sidewalk, the way your shoes look as they touch the ground. Look up. What color is the sky? How bright is it today? Are there clouds? Let these things become a part of your imaginary place.

With every step, you are getting closer and closer to your familiar place. Acknowledge this fact, and notice how it makes you feel. Think about what gives you the motivation to keep moving forward. Now, you can see your familiar place, the place where you are staying. How do you feel?

For the rest of your walk, think about one way that you feel lost in your life. Then think about the steps you can take to find your way back to a familiar place.