Have you ever felt like you were caught in a maze? You are trying to navigate the best you can through life and make good decisions, but you really don't know what lies around the next corner and if you should go left or right sometimes. I feel like the mouse in the maze frequently, however my sense of smell is not keen enough to smell the cheese at the exit. I will stop at the intersection and stare at the choices, agonizing over which is the best one, debating the merits, trying to forsee the future consequences, ultimately becoming frozen, "paralysis by analysis".
I know what I would tell someone else in this situation. I would tell them to do the best they could and make a decision. Even if they hit a dead end, they can enjoy the scenery and learn some lessons along the way. Perhaps the lessons they learn will help them in the future, maybe it will help others. It isn't necessarily the "wrong" direction if the path they take has some detours or back tracks. Life is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy life to the fullest!
But will I take my own advice? Of course not! Because I want to be perfect. I don't want to waste time back tracking. I want a map. I want some cosmic map that tells me exactly what the best direction is going to be, what the outcome will be, how long it will take, and what it will look like. That way I can take the quickest, easiest, most pain-free route that will also yield the most effective and abundant results.
Unfortunately, I have yet to find that map. And what's more is ...the more experience I have and the more I learn, the more I realize life wouldn't be as full with one. Life is still going to be a maze at times with some dead ends, detours, heartaches and bumps. But it can also be a great adventure with fun, friends, family, lovely memories and breath-taking scenery. We can pray, listen to our gut, learn from others and then do the best we can with the information we have. Just keep moving and enjoy the journey.
