Navigating vs. Way-Finding
One of my favorite podcasts is “About Abroad,” where the interviewer (an American expatriate living in Spain) sits down with other internationals living around the world. I often cue it up when I’m feeling homesick for my years in the Netherlands. I sometimes prefer podcasts over music when I workout, so one day at the local YMCA, mid-kettlebell swing, I nearly launched the thing across the room when I heard this gem from one of his guests:
“A professor in college once told us that sometimes in life we are navigating and sometimes we are way-finding. Think about it like the difference between having a destination you’re going toward versus letting the wind guide you. I have always preferred being a way-finder.”
It was one of those OMG, same moments, like when someone puts words to a feeling you’ve carried for years but never quite named. That simple statement cracked something open. It articulated a quiet truth I’ve long felt but never verbalized. I finished my workout quickly so I could take in this philosophy undistratced on my commute back to the office.
On the drive I caught myself nodding in agreement with the speaker. I thought, “Yeah! what if you don’t know the destination you’re (metaphorically and literally) heading in? And what if you don’t want to know? What if It feels more thrilling to take things as they come, year by year, without a master plan?”
The guest went on to share about her adventures living in 6 different countries in the last 15 years, working jobs in farming, corporate, hospitality, you name it! I noted the confidence she spoke with as she nonchalantly recounted stories of her wild adventures.
The conclusion I arrived to by the time I pulled into my office was that not all journeys need a map. Sometimes, it’s enough to let the wind carry you. I used to feel that I “should” want to settle down and ease into a predictable, stable life. But something in me recoils at that idea, possibly because I believe in this quote:
"Life is not something to be clutched at, but to be allowed. The more you let go, the more it flows. The more you question, the more it opens." — Unknown
The navigator decides. The way-finder listens. Way-finding is about being attuned to where you are, and remaining open to what is to come. I believe a way-finder is someone who believes in and often arrives at the path less taken. They push the boundaries society makes us believe are necessary. They ask “why?” things should be a certain way. They showcase the stability, cohesion and fulfillment that can actually be found in a non-traditional life.
Like the guests professor so eloquently pointed out, sometimes in life we’re navigating and sometimes we’re way-finding. I personally hope to be a way-finder for much, if not for most, of my life. If you are someone who just can’t get on board with the prescribed life design that’s out there, then you’ve found the right therapy practice for your needs. Maybe, you’re a way-finder too.
XoXo, Juliet
