October 1, 2025
At first glance, this seems like a silly question. Of course, I know how to get lost, just hand me IKEA instructions and hide the Allen wrench. But once I sat with it, I realized this question digs deeper.
Do I really know how to get lost anymore? Not just in the sense of missing a turn on the highway, but in the sense of wandering without a plan, stepping into the unknown without a GPS, deadline, or safety net.
The truth is, I don’t often allow myself to. Like most of us, I live in a world of Google Maps, calendar reminders, and constant pings. Getting lost feels inefficient. But maybe that’s exactly why it matters.
There’s a kind of magic in surrendering control, in following a path simply because it looks interesting. When I was a kid, getting lost was easy, and sometimes the most fun part of the day. A bike ride with no route. A game of hide-and-seek that stretched too long. Even a book I picked up without knowing where it would take me.
As an adult, I resist that kind of wandering. But I’ve noticed something: every time I do allow myself to “get lost,” something good comes out of it. A new idea. A surprising discovery. A deeper sense of myself.
Maybe getting lost isn’t about panic. Maybe it’s about possibility.
I’ve touched on this before when writing about letting go of control. There’s freedom in not knowing the next turn. Sometimes, you only find yourself after you stop clutching the map.
So, today’s question is a challenge: do you know how to get lost—and are you willing to try?
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💬 Your Turn
When was the last time you let yourself get beautifully lost?