A follow-up to On being lost.

The initial reaction to being lost is often to cling to what you know to be true. Thereby establishing what you do not. To frame the search. To break it down into questions, sub-questions and methodically go to answer them. Here this instinct is counterproductive. The time and place for the imposition for structure will come, but it comes later.

There is no universal guide for what to do and how to spend your time. However there are three qualities that are useful to cultivate:

• Openness. A closed mind limits your ability to notice what is around you

• Curiosity. A good guide to follow. It’s tugs orient you towards more fruitful directions

• Focus. You’re unlikely to find your way if surrounded by distractions

Some practical suggestions on cultivating these qualities:

• Give yourself a fixed amount of time. For some, it is hard to feel truly free without bounding that freedom. Give yourself some amount of months in which you will specifically not search for answers. To not consider the usefulness of what you do or the progress you are making.

• Choose your environment very very carefully. Moving into your family home where you often feel mentally stifled may not be worth the dollars you will save. This endeavour is likely to be fruitless if you are not in the right environment.

• Prefer solitude. This is a process of being with yourself. It is not to say you must always be alone. But rather to make enough time for you to spend with yourself, disconnected from the lives of others.

• Guard strictly against vices. It is easy to lose this treasured time to distractions if you are not careful. Stay away from, or set limits to, your vices.

• Being bored is ok. You will have some time where you are bored. Don’t habitually push this feeling away. It is an essential part of the process.