What is your life map?

I have always been fascinated by maps. In fact I love reading maps. I remember during my Girl Scout years when I was still in high school, we had our Orienteering, I made one mistake that taught me to learn reading maps very carefully. I was the first one to start in the Orienteering yet the last one to arrive simply because I did not read carefully the map given to me! I was so focused to end as a winner because I am an athlete and I believe I can ran faster than the rest and definitely have stronger stamina than the rest yet I ended up last. Why? because at the end of the day if we don't read a map carefully and use it to where we are going, no amount of strength or stamina will do. Well, stamina and strength will still get you there yet do not expect that you will end up victorious.

I learned to be good in reading maps as well because one of the businesses I have requires I be good at it. There's no Google Map before. So I get to use this one below, a Topographic Map, for me to get specific details of islands. 

I have lots of Topograpic Maps, and before I visit an island, I already have a mental picture of what it is and what it looks like etc. just by simply looking at it on the Topo Map. Right now Google Maps has provided a tool so powerful that anywhere we are we can already access specific details of almost anything. 

The same thing in life, if the map we are using to get from where we are now to where we wanted to be is unclear, we will definitely have a hard time arriving at our destination. Several times I experienced this and its a total waste of time getting lost then finding out, by simply not taking time to read maps carefully, to end up going back to the beginning. So that's one lesson I will never forget and so I vowed to never get lost again by simply not taking time to read maps. 

So I got fascinated by this one particular book because the artist is so good in making a visual representation of Tokyo and reading it, I feel like I am also walking with him as he explored Tokyo on foot. The maps in the books reminded me the importance of having a clear mental picture of where we wanted to be.

What I did, I put on some of my photos I took from my phone, when I was on those particular places.

This place in Tokyo became even more famous of Gwen Stephanie's "Harajuku Girls"

What I like here is the Southern Terrace. Its one nice place to have a cup of coffee. I didn't include it here already but in the map you will find a bridge connecting from Takashimaya. From Takashimaya crossing the bridge is the Southern Terrace. 

Map reading is exciting. For me, its an adventure especially if its a place I wanted to be even. A map that is clear will get us to anywhere we want to and faster even if the destination for us is unfamiliar. So I guess this also applies to where we wanted to be perhaps in the next 5-10 years of our lives.

Do you have a map where you are going? and not just in the next 5-10 years but perhaps even in this lifetime? and how clear is it? I believe a map going from one place to another is very important, especially if its gonna be used to get to the destination we wanted in life. And for me, having a map of where we wanted to be in our life, is the most exciting and the greatest adventure of all.