We have all come from somewhere. We are all on our way to somewhere else. We are all on a path to get there. This is the story of our lives.
Here at The Crossroad, we distill this story into the mental model of the There-Here-Path (or THP). It describes how life works: the Path we all must take to get from Here to There.
What the rest of our leadership tools do is to break down the THP: Where do you want to go? Where are you now? What Path do you need to take to get There?
Beginning with the End
We call it the There-Here-Path instead of the Here-There-Path because we believe it’s important to begin with the end in mind. Otherwise you just end up wandering aimlessly and will inevitably stray from the Path you want to follow.
Instead, we want to start with a Transcendent There, which will serve as your North Star to guide you on the Path. This is the overarching narrative or story that you tell yourself about your life and its purpose. A Transcendent There is more of a mission statement than a goal. In fact, it’s important that your Transcendent There cannot be checked off or achieved. That way you can keep following it your whole life.
You Are Here
Most of the Servant Leadership tools are to help you accurately diagnose your Here. After all, a map will be no help in getting you where you want to go if you do not first know where you are. Understanding your Here requires honesty and will sometimes involve confronting truths that are hard to hear. You may be telling yourself a story about where you are that does not match up with reality. In order to get There, you must have an accurate understanding of where you currently are. Your story must be fact, not fiction.
Along the Path
The actual story of your life is lived along the Path. Part of the reason it’s hard to know your Here is that it’s always changing. As you walk along the Path, you must act, learn, and adjust along the way in order to keep following your There.
We can often think it would be easier if we just had a map to follow: turn right here for a new job, keep straight for retirement, turn left for a child, etc. But that’s not how life works. We do not know how our stories will go. We have to make choices and see what the consequences of those actions are. Then, if we find that our choices are moving us away from our There, we must reroute to get back on track.
The story of our lives is the Path from Here to There. Every day, you are participating in a greater narrative both about yourself and about the world you inhabit. Being aware of the arc of that narrative can help provide perspective along the way.
Gracie McBride is the Content and Systems Development Coordinator at The Crossroad.
