Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at a Sunday gathering. I’m honored to do this four or five times each year, which gives me the privilege of spending a lot of time thinking between engagements. This past Sunday, my message was titled “Everyone Is on a Path to Somewhere.” It may sound vague, but it’s undeniably true.

Remember when shopping malls had maps with an arrow that said, “You are here”? That simple marker provided perspective—helping you understand where you were so you could chart a path to where you wanted to go.

Life works the same way.

I meet so many people who want to be somewhere other than where they are. Even more concerning, many want to end up in a place that—given their current trajectory—is impossible to reach. It’s like wanting to be a marathon runner while hating jogging, then deciding to take up bowling in hopes it somehow gets you across the finish line. It makes no sense.

Where you stand today is a strong predictor of where you will walk tomorrow.

Here are two paths I often see. Which one are you on?

A Path to Bad

Identity rooted in self: ungrateful, jealous, sad, self-loathing, self-serving, angry, mean, hurtful, alone.

On this path, people spend a great deal of time examining themselves and conclude that self—self-help, books, isolation, introspection—is the key to happiness. But here’s the problem: you are the problem. How can the instrument causing the issue also be the tool that fixes it? If the problem begins with you, you cannot heal yourself alone.
Result: Alone.

A Path to Good

Identity rooted outside of self: gratitude, confelicity (genuine happiness for another’s success), joy, generosity, helpfulness, togetherness.

On this path, we realize that our identity cannot come from within ourselves. Once we grasp that truth, we recognize that simply being here—regardless of where we currently stand in the “mall”—is a gift. Gratitude grows from that awareness, and it leads us toward others who are eager to share goodness and walk together.
Result: Together.

My encouragement to you is simple: take time to honestly look at where you are standing. And if you discover that your current path leads toward bad, that’s okay—because there is still time to change direction.