Life is like a complicated forest without any danger signs, road signs, or tracks. Sometimes, you feel like you’re in the middle of it all without any idea of how you got there, where you’re going next, whether you’ll get even more lost (if that’s possible), or just having to stay in place hoping that someone will rescue you.

When you feel like you’re about to fall into this pit, here are some things to consider.

1. Take a deep breath and appreciate where you are.

Everything might just look like a creepy forest to you but if you look closely, meadows are just around the corner. You might spot a deer. You might see a rare mushroom that you wouldn’t have spotted if you haven’t been lost. What I’m saying is, not all things are as bad as they look. Everything that happens in life can be beautiful if you know where to look.

2. A complex story is a more epic story.

Wouldn’t it be nice to sit on your rocking chair someday and think of what your life has been? If it had been a smooth and steady ride for you, would you enjoy looking back at it? I don’t know about you guys but when I grow old, I want my grandchildren to think, “Wow, we have some badass grandma.”

3. Maybe it’s just a sign for you to take a step back and relax.

Really consider if you’re truly lost. Maybe, there’s just too much going on in your life and you need to take a step back from everything. Maybe where you are is not a place to get lost but a place to unwind. Getting “lost” and forgetting about everything else isn’t always bad, just as long as you have a plan to get back in track.

4. It’s not a race.

One of the worst things that can happen to a person is getting lost in a field where he/she knows nothing about or hates just because he/she does not want to get left behind by classmates, colleagues, or friends. Know that you’re probably still young and now is the best, if not the only time for you to explore your possibilities. We have to stop comparing our lives with someone else’s. We cannot compare the speed between a swimmer and runner. It just isn’t fair. All of us run a different marathon and who finishes first is immaterial.

5. Take this time to reflect.

The woods seem like a dangerous place and it might not appear inviting for some people. If you find yourself lost in it, you’ll probably find yourself alone. Now is the time to see yourself in your simplest and purest form. Now is the time to judge yourself objectively since no one is around to do it for you. Now is the time to ask yourself these questions: Is this my authentic self? Is this the best version of myself? Am I proud of the footprints I’m leaving behind or am I just seeing the wheel marks of the bandwagon I’m riding?

6. Give yourself some credit.

Not a lot of people have the guts to get lost. You have to realize that you are there because you’re brave enough to get off the bandwagon and take a journey that’s truly your own. Did you get scratched by the tree branches? Did you trip on a surface tree root? Did you slip in the mud? Great! Wear your wounds and bruises like badges of honor. Only a handful gets out of the forest and even fewer than that had the chance to get lost in it.

7. Trust the universe.

I know that taking charge of your life is important, but you need to work with the universe too. Imagine a paperclip. Its purpose is to bind papers together. You can also use it to poke a paper if you’re having problem with your stapler. Thieves sometimes use it to pick a lock. Once, I used it as a cable clip. It will work as those things too, but it will be so deformed that you cannot use it for its original purpose anymore. That applies for you as well. You were created for a specific purpose and if you do a job other than that, it might work for you, but you would only destroy yourself.

Follow the clues that the universe is giving you. If you tripped at a root, maybe that’s not the way out of the forest. The key is to keep trying until you figure your way out. You’ll know it is the right track because if you’re doing the thing that you’re supposed to do, the work should be a million times easier.

8. Think of it as a chance, not a hindrance.

Getting lost is an opportunity. If there are no directions, you can go anywhere you want. Take this chance to try new things, meet new people, discover things that life has to offer. What have you got to lose? It’s better to spend a few years of your life pursuing something and reaching a dead end than going on a straight path and constantly thinking where those other roads might have brought you to.