I saw an amazing map exhibit over the weekend. Maps serve many purposes- from giving direction to delineating boundaries to tracing the origins of disease.
Way finding maps, as the exhibit calls them, come in many forms. They all address three basic questions:
- Where am I?
- Where do I want to go?
- How do I get there?
These questions are applicable to mapping our own course in life. We can use them to determine our next steps or to problem solve.
Knowing your current state (mental and physical) is a good place to start. Then, having a vision or knowing your desired state will help to determine an outcome. Next, brainstorming begins. There may be one or several routes to get where you want to go.
The exhibit also said that mapmaking is not so much about finding your way. “It is about celebrating who you are, commemorating what is sacred and defining what is “in bounds” and what is “out of bounds.”
I’d say that is a great road to take!