We often think of life as a ladder—moving steadily up or down based on our circumstances. We check off each achievement as a rung conquered. Degree. Career. House. Marraige. Family. Promotion. Retirement. Sometimes we even pause to take a breath on a rung for awhile if we’re tired. Other days, we’re just trying to not fall to our death.

But that metaphor frames our thinking in dangerous ways.

I’d much rather think of life as a path in a forest—something to be walked with joy and explored with wonder. Sometimes you wander down side paths for a spell just to see what’s there. Each fork in the road opens up new people, experiences, and obstacles that you wouldn’t have if you had went another way. You may even end up circling back. Sometimes you have a map—and sometimes it rains and that map disintegrates.

Don’t be afraid to get lost. Take a nap under a tall oak. You set your own pace. Do it deliberately.