NORTH STAR | Mind the gap

"Mind the gap."

Once upon a time I was a 20-something living in London, and when I was traveling by tube from my Bloomsbury shoebox sized studio to class in Shoreditch, I had many dreams and visions of what my life would look like past the 30’s threshold. Turns out, those have very little in common with my today.

Most of us experience those “mind the gap” moments - where expectation, hopes and dreams simply do not match up with our current reality. Not just in review, but even more so on a daily, amplified by the influx of images on our visual accounts, telling us we’re not living the life we’d envision, the life we dream of, the life we deserve.

An honest assessment of where we are and where we want to go arguably is important. It gives direction, a means to knowing where our next train stop is. It prevents us from the deception of instant gratification. But too often we place too much importance on the gap, on the “where I should/want to be”, that we inhibit our own natural progress. 

I would say find your compass is better advice – because it’s more closely connected to purpose. Our compass is a guiding North Star that doesn’t fluctuate based on yet unmet expectations and hopes, on relationships or momentary disillusionment. It doesn’t rely on speed or intensity – just coordinates and gives direction.

I’m slowly learning to embrace the gap, and discovering the opportunity and surprise that lies within. Turns out, there’s quite a few.

How do you engage with the gap between where you are and where you’d like to be?