Finding your path is not an act of searching.
It is an act of allowing.
When you let go of what you think should be, you allow what is meant to be.
While this may sound trite, it is simply the act of following your heart moment by moment.
Your purpose is already built into your being.
When you follow your heart, your inner GPS, you are nudged in the right direction.
Because what finding your path comes down to is living life to the fullest.
It comes down to following what feels alive to you, and doing your best, in this moment.
But There’s a Dangerous Obsession
That obsession is a chase for clarity.
We think we should know where we’re going, or even who we are.
We look for concrete things to grab onto, such as a plan, an identity, or confirmation that we’re good enough.
But none of those things are relevant.
What’s relevant is the willingness to take one step at a time toward what feels most alive to us.
When you let go of trying to know what’s going on, you become truly free.
You realize that there is only the act of living life one moment at a time. Everything else is a figment of your imagination, a thought filled with puffs of smoke.
Finding Your Path — The Video
Below you’ll find the video that complements this article. Watch it first, then read the rest of this article.
And remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel for videos not posted here on the blog.
How to Uncover Your Path in Life
While there is no formula to finding your path in life, there are common elements.
Because as I’ve already mentioned, it’s not about figuring anything out. It’s about letting life figure itself out.
You see, your purpose is already within you. All you have to do is get out of the way.
Just like birds know when to fly south, so do you know where to go through what feels most alive.
So how do you follow your inner GPS? Here’s what I do:
1. Stop the Search
The first step is to stop the search. Call off the dogs.
Life is not something my mind can grasp. Speculation is possible. Certainty is not.
As you relax, you begin to notice that you have an inner GPS working for you. You have access to feelings and nudges.
But overthink, worry, or try to figure things out and those signals are drowned out in a sea of frustration.
It may feel like life will fall apart if you stop trying to control, but I’ve found the exact opposite to be true.
As Rumi once said:
Don’t worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?
You don’t know what is going to happen. You don’t know what the future holds. So you might as well relax.
2. Use What You Have
When I work with people, I notice a sense of urgency, a rush to success.
If someone wants to be a writer, they want to have written their book. They want to already be a successful author.
They’re focused on destinations. But life is a process, a journey.
To yearn for an achievement is to yearn for an artificial sweetener. It may taste sweet at first, but it has no substance.
Instead of thinking of what you don’t have, focus on what you can do with what you have. Focus on right here, right now.
If you feel the urge to write, then write. Start a blog. Write flash fiction. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have an audience. What matters is that you start.
Remember, it’s not up to you to figure out where you’re going. It’s up to you to follow your heart, your GPS.
Birds do not worry when they fly. They simply fly.
3. Discard Virtual Reality
We all have a picture of what success looks like. Or what it should look like.
We’re programmed by TV, case studies, blogs, and society in general.
However, your path has nothing to do with what people have done. You are you. This is your life. Your path.
The sooner you discard the virtual reality in your head, the sooner you can start accepting where you are.
This is not about adopting a defeatist attitude. This is about stepping out of your head, and into reality.
It is only when you start living in the present moment that you can move forward.
The only thing that matters is following what makes your heart sing. And you do that by starting where you are with what you have.
But Surely We Must Plan?
This is not about discarding thinking altogether. This is about discarding thinking that isn’t useful.
Plan if it feels alive to you. Figure things out if it is exciting.
But to force yourself will only exhaust you. To try to control will only depress you.
And to be honest, what I say does not matter. Follow your heart. Follow your excitement. That is what I keep saying in every article and video.
Your path is already here. No searching is needed. Only a recalibration of where you get your marching orders.
Below is a video where I dive deeper into living an unplanned life.
Takeaway
To learn how to find your path in life, dive into this moment.
Discard assumptions, expectations, and outside programming.
This has never been about finding anything, but about noticing that you have everything you need to take the next tiny step.
There is no rush. No need to quit your job, to be famous, or to be successful. Accept where you are.
Work with what you have.
And listen to what feels alive, magnetic, exciting, fascinating.
Start your journey. Do what you can. Drop all expectations, because you do not know where life will take you.
And if you do not resonate with what I have written, discard it.
All the best!
Henri
P.S. Dive Deeper with My Book
If you feel ready to take the next step, check out my book Do What You Love, which will help you remove the obstacles that stand in your way.
If you’re keen on learning more, click here, check out some of the reviews.
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I simply love your articles Henri!
Well done (again :))
All the best,
Mateja
Thanks Mateja!
Hi Henri,
Thank you for this article. It is true what you have written ,but it is his hard to remember it . Thank you again.
Beautiful! Thank you, Henri. I needed to hear this today!
Thanks Henri!
This article was perfect timing for me.
Thank you Henri for another great post. I wish it was that simple or is it? We have been so trained to force life that most times we including myself we get beaten up and frustrated. I truly understand why then I should allow my GPS to do the directing for me. It is so hard to follow because of the uncertainty. As humans we go by what we see and we plan for the out come and when things aren’t adding up we panic and try to change course and to make things happen. If only we could relax and be led. It is hard and even harder to remember when the going get tough. It is always good to keep hearing it.
Yes, I’ve found it to be incredibly hard as well. But with time I’ve realized that there is no certainty in trying to plan. There is only the illusion of certainty.
Even following your inner GPS happens one step at a time. You experiment. You learn. And you do your best 🙂
Blessings to you Henri …and your family. Have a beautiful Christmas 😉
I am so grateful that you wrote this article at a time when most of us are taking a reflective moment to see what/if we have achieved anything/all the things we set out to do at the beginning of the year.
i, quite possibly, like a lot of your readers have heard “follow your heart” “do what you love” and ” “get out of your own way” SO many times before……And yet not for the first time your gentle, matter of fact step by step approach allowed me to release that angst and urgency….I stepped out of that sea of frustration, I called off the search and the dogs. I fed them and made them welcome by the fire place…I turned off everybody else’s view of reality……And I swear my heart and soul breathed this HUGE sigh of relief and went THANK GOD!!!!!!….’We have been waiting patiently for you to “get” this for SOoooo long that quite frankly, even though we are Infinite and we have infinite patience, even we were beginning to despair!’ So today Henri know that you have given me the greatest gift(s) of all …the Peace that passeth all understanding and a knowingness (confidence and trust) that my life will unfold beautifully just as I (my heart and soul) had planned. Sent with much love, Peta.
Glad to hear that, Peta. Thanks for the awesome comment! 🙂
Hi Henri! This is my first time writing, but I have been reading your emails and blogs for a few months now, and I really enjoy what you have to say. I look forward to your posts every week. What you say makes a lot of sense.
I get caught up in being unhappy where I am, and feeling a sense of urgency to have my situation change. I feel restricted in following my gps because it says “run for your life” (aka quit my job) because it saps my excitement, happiness, freedom, time, and energy. I am doing what I can in my “free” time to write and create and hopefully find a new path where I have even more time to write and create. I am not relaxing much because I am doing double-duty with my job and squeezing as much of my creativity and hopes into the in-between time. I am also searching for new jobs, and wonder if I should stop since that drains me too, but then I wonder how I may find a better position if I stop looking. I’m not sure if this is really applying what you are teaching at all. But if I don’t spend my free time on my gps-inspirations and job research I feel I will not experience any changes in that direction. Please let me know if this makes sense and what I might be missing. Thanks!!
Hey Sharon,
It’s an ongoing experiment. You alone have to learn what feels alive to you, and what doesn’t. I’m still learning myself, and I’ll probably keep learning for the rest of my life.
However, I’ve learned to be cautious about thoughts that say “If I don’t…” because they make assumptions about reality. You don’t know what’s coming, so how can you know what step will lead to where you’re going?
And in the end, even doing something that exhausts you teaches you what doesn’t work, so for me there are no mistakes.
Enjoy the ride, and do your best, Sharon.
Hi Henri
I kinda feel like I’ve lost who I am and I don’t know what my passions are any more.
What if I don’t know what my hearts is telling me? That is the most frustrating thing for me… listening to my heart but not hearing what it’s saying 🙁 🙁
Hey Amanda,
You make the assumption that you have to know who you are. And you probably have parameters of how you should be, and the things you should know. But not knowing is not a problem unless you make it one.
I have periods where I don’t know who I am, or where I feel drawn. I’ve learned to just be quiet during those times. The reason it’s frustrating for you is because you are trying to force it.
You’ll get it eventually. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Give yourself time to have fun and enjoy life. I’ve had to learn this the hard way. It seems tough for all of us to not take things so seriously 🙂
Thank you Henri 🙂
I do get very frustrated not knowing who I am or what I want. I know that life is about the journey, I think that I just hate not knowing and I hate feeling unsure of myself… but if I can just learn to go with the flow I know I’ll be much happier and enjoy the journey more… and without being so frustrated and not being so hard on myself my heart will find it easier to feel and express itself and then I’ll be able to hear what it’s telling me 🙂
Thank you for helping me to find the answer 🙂
Henri!
What’s up man?
I found your blog a while back and I’m liking a lot of the content buddy.
I really agree with your point about wanting to get to destinations too fast, as this can be dangerous. We don’t necessarily need to slow down, but must realize we always have the present moment only. We always hurry, “But life is a process, a journey.”.
Well said. Keep up the good work!
– Evan
The first 10 seconds of the video = the story of my life.
My heart is crazy and confused so I don’t know anymore how I could follow it and find my path. One day it wants me to explore the world and do interesting things. The next one it wants me to sleep all day long. It’s usually either about going totally out of my comfort zone or doing nothing. The second option (+daydreaming) wins.
Hey Adela,
It sounds like you may be confusing your heart with your mind/fears/anxieties. I may be wrong, so don’t take my word for it.
So now you may wonder: Well, how do I know when it’s my heart?
I suggest you watch my videos, read my articles, and experiment a lot. There is no black and white answer. You have to uncover how it works for you.
Enjoy the exploration 🙂
Hello Henri,
Thank you so much for the quick reply!
Well, I watched all of your videos, read the books & all the articles :). They are always so amazing and inspiring! Thank you for each and every one of them! They made me realize that I’m not the only one who has certain questions about life. It really helps to know that. And they helped me a lot in other different ways. (That’s why I dare to comment, I usually never do that :)).
That was the easy and nice part. Experimenting and exploring how it works for me -> not that fun as it is such a lengthy process. Sure, fears and anxieties play a big part too of course. I often lose my patience because time just flies and I need too much time to get things together properly and achieve my goals. Still waiting for some brilliant idea to come my way.
Anyway, have a wonderful weekend and please keep sharing your ideas 🙂
Thanks Adela.
I’m sure you’ll be fine. Don’t be too hard on yourself 🙂
Thanks Henri. I’m glad I came across this writeup. Its been helpful and I have had to read it 5times and still not enough. Thank you greatly.