Lost in the Work.
This article is part of Finding the Words, a newsletter that delivers practical insights on the day’s issues.
A few years ago, my daughter Kate — she was six or seven then — sat at the kitchen table making her birthday list. She was mid-scribble when she looked up and said, clear as day: “Mommy, I want you to put your phone away for my birthday.”
Ouch.
It hit me like a truth only a child could deliver. Because she was right. Over the years, I’ve been known to get lost in my work. Not because I feel chained to it (though there are those days), but because I genuinely love it.
Getting lost, I’ve learned, can be both a gift and a risk. It’s often where my best ideas live—in that deep flow of creativity and commitment. But it can also swallow me whole if I’m not careful.
In recent weeks, I've heard from several leaders who have also expressed feeling lost in their work, but not in a creative way.
Worn down by national politics and budget cuts. Feeling lost on where to go or how to lead. Questioning whether long-term planning even matters.
And when all feels lost, where then do we go?
When I lose my words, I often turn to Mitch Albom. His new book, Twice, explores what one man does when he realizes he has the power to relive and redo any moment of his life. While the book is full of a-ha's, it’s the opening quote from C.S. Lewis that's sticking with me:
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
We can choose to be lost in the work, or we can choose to find meaning right where we are—even in the chaos—and let that meaning guide us forward.
So today, I’ll choose to get lost in something that matters. Something small, hopeful, forward-looking. And I hope you can too.
Because we can't solve it all, and we can't right all the wrongs. Some days, for good or bad, we may simply feel lost.
But that doesn't need to mean all is lost.
Get lost with someone you love.
Get lost in the sound of your breath.
Get lost in conversation with a friend.
Bottom Line: There are plenty of good things worth getting lost in, because sometimes it takes getting a little lost to find focus again.
This post is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights direct to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
