Dear Multipotentialite, You're Not as Lost as You Think You Are

I just finished writing my latest book called, I’m Not Lost. I’m an Explorer. What inspired me to write this book is that as a multipotentialite, I know all too well the feeling of throwing stuff at the wall and having no clue what I’m doing.

I’m like, “Okay, I’ve done all this stuff. And yet, I feel like I’m just standing in the same place.”

There’s the nagging sensation of not making any progress.

But as I’ve gone through these times where I feel like what I’m doing is such a waste, there are moments when I’ve decided to deal with it emotionally by journaling.

Over the years, there’s been a few journaling prompts that have helped me to navigate that lost feeling, and from those journaling sessions came realizations and mindset shifts that have been essential for me. The things I’ve found most helpful I’ve brought up many times in my work in general, because these shifts have helped me to feel the most grounded when my mind is in the clouds.

One of my favorite prompts is creating a list of what’s working. A lot of times when you get into that mode of feeling lost, you’re hyper-focused on what’s going wrong. Sometimes there’s a lot of failures happening in multiple areas of your life all at the same time, which can be overwhelming.

But when I look at what’s going right and what’s working in my creative process and in my projects, I better understand where I’m going. I can see where I need to put all my energy, and I can let go of worrying about that other stuff because that’s not where my energy belongs. As a multipotentialite, you’re so used to dividing your energy between so many different things, that knowing where to direct your energy makes a huge difference in how you feel. Once you figure out where to best use your energy, that’s when you start to find your direction.

So that’s one of my favorite lists—thinking about what’s working. My other favorite is a list of what guides and teachers are coming into my life. When I write a list of who and what is currently teaching me and inspiring me, I end up with a short list of resources that are helping me to direct my action. It’s a cheat sheet of current advice for my creative life.

I mention a few other exercises in my book to help with directing your energy as an explorer, but those two are definitely my favorites. Every time I feel lost, I sit and make these two lists, and I find so much clarity. I often uncover themes that surprise me, but gaining awareness of them helps me to redirect my energy and let go of what’s not working, so I can move ahead with confidence.

Another thing I touch on in my book is the emotional baggage of being an explorer. Other people may bother you with questions like:

Why don’t you have a normal job?

Why don’t you do normal things?

Why don’t you have this figured out yet?

Why don’t you have things planned out?

Things like that.

And that can weigh heavy on you when you’re an explorer. But the important thing to remember is that sometimes in life your calling is to explore, and that’s okay.

One time I was hanging out with some friends, and they were talking about this guy who they knew, but who I didn’t know personally.

They were like,”So-and-so has done everything. If you go scuba diving, he’ll know how to help you with your gear. He knows about climbing in caves. He knows about how to administer first aid, car repair, and plumbing. He knows wilderness survival skills. What is it that he doesn’t know?”

They had all kinds of fun stories about this guy’s random certifications and life skills. They were really impressed with his breadth of knowledge and couldn’t help admiring it.

Sometimes as an explorer, it’s easy to get hung up on the ways that people can view you negatively. But it’s important to contemplate how people may also view you positively. You are a resource of rare knowledge. In my book, I bring out how important it is for explorers to share their knowledge because your eclectic knowledge is unique, and it has a special way of impacting people.

Although my own journey through feeling lost is what inspired me to write this book, I still feel lost sometimes, especially as my writing has continued to grow and mature. I have days where I’m like, “What am I doing?” I feel lost within my own pursuits, but at the same time I know that’s part of the process.

Feeling lost is part of the process, but I don’t have to be stuck there. There are methods for slowly discovering the way out.

As scary as wandering feels, when you reach that space where you can process your emotions of frustration, and you can find that calm. The goal of my book is to help explorers step away from the chaos to find that.

So that’s all I want to share about my latest book. Whenever you’re ready, here’s where you can check out I’m Not Lost. I’m an Explorer: A Guide to Seeing Your Path as a Polymath, Multipotentialite, and Renaissance Soul.