When I was little, one of my favorite book characters was Curious George. As you may recall, George was a darling little monkey who was like a mini-magnet to mischief.
In one of of the books, George goes on a hike with two other young children and is assigned the task of carrying the bag of marshmallows. He ends up ripping the bag and the marshmallows begin to fall out of the bag one by one.
After several hours, the children realize they are lost in the woods. Scared and hungry, they decide to stop and eat, only to discover their beloved stash of marshmallows has disappeared. The kids are understandably upset with George.
But then they see one of the marshmallows on the ground. The first marshmallow leads to the next, and then to the next, and before they know it, the children are able to follow the path out of the woods and safely back home again. All is forgiven and George goes from being the goat (or at least a bad little monkey) to the hero.
All because he built a path out of the woods -- without ever being aware of it.
Although I hadn't thought about this story in years, it came back to me yesterday when I listened to Debbie Fay of bespeak presentation solutions deliver a speech about finding your true purpose in life (an awesome presentation, I might add).
Reflecting on her career path, Debbie explained that she never set out to become a public speaking coach. But now looking back, she realizes that every one of her life experiences helped lead her, step by step, in that direction.
Like George's haphazard path of marshmallows, the trail was built piece by piece. It was not a straight line to success, but a winding adventure with stops and starts, triumphs and challenges. Her early involvement with theater helped her feel comfortable on stage. Her experience as a teacher gave her insights into how to best motivate others. The years she spent organizing the talent shows in her hometown taught her how to nurture talent and encourage nervous performers.
She didn't always proceed confidently in the direction of her dreams, but like George, she had fun along the way. Each experience became a stepping stone to the next, and over time, she amassed a collection of skills, contacts, and expertise that eventually led her "back home" to her intended vocation.
If you're feeling "lost in the woods" invest the time to discover the clues to your true path. Take a page out of George's playbook and get curious about how the parts and pieces of your past fit together. The clues are always there. It's up to you to find them and follow the marshmallow road back to your authentic self.










