Maps
“There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.” — A Wizard of Earthsea
Maps are incredibly useful, both literally and figuratively.
Early memories of family road trips involved deciphering weathered, misfolded road maps, after stubbornly traveling long after we all knew we had missed the turn.
As the little sister, steeped in 80s misogyny, I often wasn’t allowed to assist while my older brother and parents bickered over which tiny line we were on. Perhaps that very obstacle to using them is why I became so entranced by maps in the first place — from road maps to park guides to fictional maps showing the journeys of legendary heroes (thank you, Mr. J. R. R. Tolkien, for the map of stalwart Bilbo Baggins’ adventure, There and Back Again).
Metaphorically, maps are just as useful.
There are the maps we create for our goals, deciding where we want to go and then working backward from that destination, creating signposts to guide us there.
There are also the maps we receive through guides and mentors, people who help us learn from their experience so we can move forward with a little more wisdom and a few less wrong turns. Applying that wisdom, of course, being the operative word. 😉
And then there are the maps of the unknown.
In many open-world video games, the world map begins obscured by the “fog of the unknown.” As you venture outward, more of the map is revealed. Sometimes, through a quest, you discover scrolls or clues that uncover hidden areas, secret caves, or treasures that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
The key is not to reveal the map by searching online for someone else’s fully uncovered version. That’s not mentoring. That’s simply following another person’s footsteps.
Nor is the goal to obsessively uncover every single pixel. That level of perfectionism can turn the completion of the game into the goal rather than the experience of playing it. And if I’m being honest… that has absolutely been me more times than I’d like to admit. Recovering perfectionist queen over here. 👑
The real invitation is to step bravely, curiously, creatively, and joyfully into the unknown itself.
To discover what lies beyond the fog through lived experience.
To gain wonder, perseverance, grit, meaning, and wisdom in the doing.
And then, only then, can you become the guide for someone else, not by handing them your completed map, but by sharing what you learned while uncovering your own.
Because the point was never just to finish the map.
It was to become the person the journey shaped along the way.
About Eos Coaching
Eos Coaching is rooted in the practice of making the most of today. Through functional wellness, performance coaching, and reflective practice, I work with individuals who want to build strength, clarity, and consistency without burnout.
This Substack is an extension of that work. A place for field notes, reflections, and practical tools that support steady progress and self-trust.
You can learn more about my coaching work or subscribe to my bi-weekly newsletter, Reflections, at eoscoaching.us.