We’re reminded of the phrase, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” This saying has often been mistakenly attributed to the Cheshire Cat when talking to Alice in the novel, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

However, that’s not what the cat said. The correct dialogue goes like this:
Alice asks the cat, “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” said the cat.
“I don’t much care where.” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” said the cat.
“- so long as I get somewhere.” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that.” said the cat, “If you only walk long enough.”

Interestingly, the phrase, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” are lyrics in a song called, “Any Road” by George Harrison, one of the Beatles. A verse goes like this:

“But oh Lord we pay the price with the
Spin of a wheel – with the roll of the dice
Ah yeah you pay your fare
And if you don’t know where you’re going
Any road will take you there.”

So, what does all this mean? For us, it means if you don’t have a sense of direction, or a goal you want to achieve, you can spend lots of time aimlessly going in circles and not getting anywhere. It’s like floating on a boat in a fog without a rudder. You’re at the mercy of the wind and current. You’re a helpless passenger, not the captain of your boat.

Recently, a friend recommended we read the book, Heaven by Randy Alcorn. The book has sold over 1 million copies. After starting to read it, we can see why.

In the Introduction of the book, Alcorn tells a story of Florence Chadwick, a famous swimmer who was the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways. In 1952, her goal was to swim from Catalina Island in the Pacific Ocean to the shore of California. The day of her swim, it was so foggy that it was difficult to even see the boats that were accompanying her. After swimming in the chilly waters for 15 hours, she begged to quit and get into one of the boats. Her mother, who was in one of the boats, kept telling her daughter that she could make it because she was getting close.

However, Chadwick eventually became exhausted physically and emotionally, stopped swimming, and was pulled out of the water. It was only after she was in the boat that she discovered the shore was less than a half mile away. The next day at a news conference, she said, “All I could think of was the fog…. I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

In today’s world, it’s easy to get lost in the “fog” of so many competing distractions. That fog can keep us from clearly seeing where it is we need to go to achieve our goals. Just like Chadwick, we can get off track, feel discouraged, and give up. That’s why it’s so important to not only have a clear idea of where you want to go in life, but also why you want to go there. Clearly picture in your mind what it will feel like when you achieve your goal. What will it mean to you, and those around you, when you “reach the shore”?

In Stephen Covey’s best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey’s second habit is “Begin with the end in mind.” What Covey means by this is to first visualize mentally who you are and what you want in life. Connect with your uniqueness and define your personal and ethical guidelines. Who do you need to be to best fulfill your life? This mental creation then becomes your roadmap for you to physically create your destiny.

Covey suggests developing a Personal Mission Statement to help you focus on what it is that you want to do – and be. Covey says, “People are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren’t getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope with all their might.”

What about you? Do you know where you’re going in life? If so, congratulations! If not, perhaps the “fog” of life is keeping you from clearly seeing, and reaching, the “shore”. We encourage you to take time to clearly visualize how you can best feel fulfilled and who you need to be to make that happen on your life’s journey. Bon Voyage!

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@TheBalanceCenter.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2023 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.