We all reach a point in life where we feel confused or lost and not quite sure where to go. For many of us this might be after high school, or at different points throughout life. It might feel like something is wrong or you’re taking the wrong path, but this isn’t necessarily true. Below are five reasons why you might feel lost:
1.) You’re healing.
When you’re doing the inner work of moving through grief, trauma, or unlearning harmful habits, you’re moving in a direction that’s unknown. You may not know what life feels like without living in survival mode or without using substances to cope. Moving into the unknown can spark a lost feeling within you, but that just means you haven’t been where you’re going.
2.) You’re growing.
As humans we tend to strive towards self-actualization, or being the best versions of ourselves. When we grow and move through different changes in life, it’s hard to know what the future holds, or quite where you’re going.
3.) You’re questioning everything.
During childhood, many of us take on the beliefs and values of our parents because that’s all we know. We take these things and make them our truth too, without really questioning it. As adults, you might start questioning your
religious or spiritual beliefs, or why you feel obligated to spend time with family members that make you feel uncomfortable. These are all normal parts of life and allows us to find what aligns with our genuine self.
4.) You’re struggling to find a purpose or meaning in life.
We reach a point in life when we start questioning how we got here, what’s the purpose of life, and what we’re supposed to do with our time on this planet. The most challenging part of these existential questions is that no one has the answer. We put our faith into higher powers, beliefs, values, etc. that make sense to us, but at the end of the day none of us really knows what we’re doing.
5.) You recently went through a major change or loss.
If you’ve moved to a new state, started a new career, or experienced the loss of a loved one, this likely shook you up.
Meaning, this change or loss disrupted your routine and now you have to adapt. Most of us take a while to adjust to change, especially when we feel the absence of someone we loved. You may not know how you feel about these things quite yet, or what your life will look like months or years down the road.
We’re conditioned to believe that something needs fixing if we feel anything other than happiness and fulfillment. But feeling sad, feeling pain, feeling scared, and feeling lost are all normal parts of being human. You get to choose what this feeling lost means, not anyone or anything else.