Do You Know Where You're Going?

Do you know where you're going?

No, I don't mean, "Do you know where you're going?" as in what place are you going out to.

I mean "Do you know where you're life is going?"

Do you have any idea what you want your life to mean? Any idea what legacy your life will leave? Do you have any plan? Are you actually working any plan?

Something that I see on a daily basis are people who say they want one thing, but just sit and wait for the right things to fall in their lap. Most of them spend their whole lives just waiting like that. Many of them get bored and even angry, at waiting for the "good" things to happen. Meanwhile they live without direction, and without purposeful activity. They may not know it, but most times, it's a choice that they make on a daily basis.

It just makes me wonder, "Have you thought about where you're going?"

An example may show you what I mean:

Micky is a 32-year-old mother of two girls, one 15, the other 10. Micky has been married for 10 years to the father of her second daughter. However, the marriage has not been easy, arguments and fights have been frequent. They've split up a few times but always got back together again. Recently, there was another argument, they've split up again and indications are that this time it may end up in the divorce courts with an emotionally charged and bitter case.

Micky
(Do You Know Where You're Going?)
photo courtesy of greenmelinda's photostream at Flickr

Micky rents a small home from the local housing association which she's occupied for about four years now. She's behind with her rent, although she knows the system and knows just how far she can go behind and what sort of payments to make to prevent the association taking legal action. Needless to say, there isn't a lot of spare money the way she lives at the moment.

If you talk to Micky, she'll tell you how she'd like to be a social worker. She considers herself a caring person who listens to other people's problems before giving her advice. Most of the people she helps in this way are also women with children experiencing money issues and in unstable relationships. She sees herself as a good Mom and a good friend.

Ask Micky where her life's going and she'll tell you that she'd like to learn to be a social worker, but that there isn't the money at the moment. It's a struggle surviving on the benefits and the part-time job at the local corner shop. Apart from that there's a recession on you know, and they're cutting back on things like social support.

It sounds a sad tale and maybe even hints at desperation.

What Micky won't tell you quite so readily is that she spends most weekends having some serious drinking time. Sometimes it's at one of the local pubs; sometimes it's at a party at her home or at one of her friends. She's always there for her friends and her children. If the children are at home for the parties, well, they'll enjoy staying up late, it's a treat. She'd like to give up smoking, but she's had a lot of stress in her life, and well, she just can't be coping with that on top of the divorce and everything else.

Where's Micky's life going? What meaning does Micky's life have? What legacy is Micky going to leave behind? Does Micky have a plan? Is Micky actually working any plan?

Still, that’s enough of Micky. How about you?

Do you know where you're going?

~ What does your life look like at the moment?

~ Do you have any idea what you want your life to mean?

~ Any idea what legacy your life will leave?

~ Do you have any plan?

~ Are you actually working any plan? Or..

~ are you making those little choices on a day-by-day basis that are taking you quietly somewhere you don’t want to go?