I started thinking about the work I do as “Navigating Reality” in the early 2000s, about twenty years ago. I was consulting with more college-aged students during that time, whose parents were concerned about their futures. During our getting-to-know-each-other beginnings, instead of describing what I do as ‘consulting’, I started explaining what I do as being like a ‘reality navigator’ – someone who helps people navigate their reality better. This explanation made sense to these vibrant young adults, stepping out into the world with the intention of learning how to navigate reality (even though they didn’t yet have a description for this). Sometimes I would even receive a “Cool!”
I work with people seeking better ways to engage the reality they find themselves working through. What I’ve learned is, even though we all navigate reality, we mostly don’t think about our choices, decisions, assertions or inactions as Navigating Reality. However, if we think about what we are doing as Navigating Reality, our ability to hold multiple perspectives and contemplate alternative pathways expands – we become able to work with more complex understandings because we must acknowledge to ourselves, a basic fact about our life journey(s): reality can be complicated!
I work in the realm of trying to help people make sense of reality. This can be especially challenging (as well as meaningful and exciting) because oftentimes, on the surface, reality doesn’t make sense. However, when we learn to discern the messages of insight hidden within our life experiences, we begin to see more, understand more, and engage our reality more conscientiously and effectively. There is a kind of satisfaction that comes from making sense of ourselves in our lives. And from this, our resilience strengthens, our well-being evolves.
This is the first post in a series of “For Contemplation”, addressing different aspects about Navigating Reality. I hope you will visit and enjoy the journey, as we contemplate the many different facets of what Navigating Reality can be like.
If you would like to receive emails when new For Contemplations are posted, sign up on the Contact Form.
Learning Esperanto helps you navigate the reality of the language barrier.