Hi friends,
You can have everything you want, but not all at once.
I’ve seen this one too many times on various “X lessons at age X” lists.
That lesson has been giving me comfort lately.
These days I feel quite disoriented.
It’s not completely lost, not completely stuck, but I feel as if the ground is constantly moving under my feet.
I don’t think I’m alone in this. Well at least I hope not.
The things that used to feel solid have now all sort of unravelled themselves.
The cracks that perhaps were always there are visible now.
I always find myself wondering if I’m heading in the right direction, or if there even is a right direction anymore.
Some days I’m very energised and hopeful about the possibilities.
Other days, it’s feels like I’m drifting, not moving in any meaningful direction.
Most days, I wake up with way more questions than answers.
Stuck in a cycle of numbing my feelings and consuming way too much content.
But I’m learning to cope with all of this. And some of it is working.
When conditions shift, constant inquiry matters more
I started to reach out more. Talking to people in real life, going to community events, messaging old or new friends.
There is just something about having more conversations in real life.
It’s so easy to stick to texting or passively interacting on socials, but that always leaves me feeling more isolated. Especially when the most in-depth conversations you may have on a daily basis are with LLMs.
When I connect with others and show genuine curiosity, it makes the world feel a bit more steady.
Our conversations remind me that everyone is in the middle of something. And nobody has it all figured out.
What if the course of action now is to be unapologetically YOU?
A huge shift for me has been trying to share honestly about where I’m at.
What I’m feeling, what I’ve been up to, and my thoughts or ideas even if they aren’t fully formed.
Being honest about not having the answers and admitting that I’m not sure what I’m doing
Once I open up, it also opens up a lot more space to connect and learn.
Nothing and no one is here to save you.
I’ve been training myself to act with more urgency. Often just self induced urgency.
When something catches my attention that feels a little more interesting, I take a chance to flesh it out, even if it’s just for a day or an hour.
My favourite way to use AI is to get it to expand on the idea and coach me on what it would take to build or see the idea through.
It may not lead anywhere but it is surprisingly energising.
And that in and of itself is very rare.
So yes this is where I’m at right now.
I’m learning things, talking to people, showing up where I can, and letting myself be okay with feeling disoriented for a while.
And being grateful of all the things that I do have.
In case you missed it: In my last post, I share my thoughts on figuring out what is next.
A question for you!
When was the last time you felt disoriented or lost? And how did you deal with it?
Always open to learning more and hearing from you 😊
Thanks for reading!
Stay inspired,
Viv