Feeling LOST Can Be The Secret Window To Your Business Growth Path

        In June of 1992 I got lost in Old Jerusalem, Israel.  I was with a group of about 5 students and it was our first day of a two month stay.  We had gone to the shopping area with a group of 20 led by an experienced traveler.  We had checked with them before leaving the group early.  We headed back the direction of our campus home.  It took us almost 3 hours to get back (instead of the 30 minutes it should have).  We wondered through dark streets made of rock, mostly empty and lit by only a few random single lit light bulbs. We asked for help, but most of the folks in this area of the city didn't know English well. It was an amazing and haunting journey in a third world environment for a young lady far from home.

     There were lessons learned that night.  Yet many of the lessons came in the days and weeks ahead.  We became the leaders of any group we were in as we navigated the streets of our new home.  We recognized the signs of going the "wrong" direction quickly.  We understood the "lay of the land" easily.  For me the lessons have run even farther as I have been lost in many other cities around the world.  Whether in Cairo, Egypt  San Juan, Puerto Rico or Charlotte, NC, USA  I know to stay calm and keep trying.  The signs will pop out and I will soon recognize where I am going, even if the support I got to "find" my way didn't seem to help.

     It's been the same for me in business.  There have been many times I have felt I was "lost" and that it was taking me much longer than others to get it "right".  When I allow that to stress me out I only get stressed.  When I find support I get through it.  Getting the right support is vital.  Just as in Old Jerusalem, it needs to be someone who "speaks your language"  who understands you and the way you work.  I have hired coaches that didn't understand me and they caused me a great deal of stress as they coached me beyond what was appropriate for me.

    Also, don't be afraid to be lost.  Your being lost can assist others to move through their issues faster.  Your students and clients will be grateful for your wisdom.