Where Are You?
There is a question we are asked from the time we are young:
“Where are you going?”
Where are you going to school? What are you going to do with your life? What’s next for your career? What are your goals for this year? Where do you see yourself in five years?
We spend so much time thinking ahead that we become skilled at planning for the future, but we often lose touch with the present.
Very few people ever ask us a different question.
Where are you?
Not where you hope to be.
Not where everyone else thinks you should be.
Not where you were five years ago.
Where are you today?
It’s a simple question, but it can be tricky, which might be why we often avoid it. To answer honestly, we have to pause and notice what is real. This means stepping away from our routines and plans for a moment to pay attention to our own lives.
Many of us have learned to keep moving forward without noticing where we are right now. We push through tough times because there is work to do. We carry expectations because people count on us. We keep going because stopping can feel uncomfortable.
At some point, we started to believe that getting things done matters more than being present.
But understanding usually doesn’t begin with action. Most of the time, it starts with simply noticing.
Before we can decide where to go, we need to be honest about where we are now.
Perhaps you’re tired.
Perhaps you’re hopeful.
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Maybe you’re carrying more than you’ve allowed yourself to admit.
Maybe you’re at the start of something beautiful, but you don’t have the words to describe it yet.
Or maybe you’ve been moving so quickly that you haven’t taken the time to ask yourself the question.
There is no right answer.
There is no expectation that you have everything figured out.
This week, I want to invite you to do something that may feel surprisingly unfamiliar.
Give yourself five quiet minutes.
No journal prompts. No productivity hacks. No plans for self-improvement.
Ask yourself:
Where am I?
Emotionally.
Professionally.
Spiritually.
Personally.
You don’t owe anyone your answer. It doesn’t have to sound impressive or inspiring. It just needs to be honest.
Noticing where you are isn’t about fixing yourself. Sometimes, it’s just about letting yourself be exactly where you are.
Before you decide where to go next week, take a few calm moments to notice where you are today.
You don’t have to have everything figured out. You need permission to be honest with yourself about where you are.
We’ll begin there.
