The Boy Scout goes missing.  Days later, he is found by rescuers and volunteers miles from where he was last seen.  Miles more from the campsite at which he started.  We see this story, sadly, replayed again and again in the news as the lost scout, camper, hiker, or mountaineer loses their bearing and decides to find their own way out of the wild.

Experts, of course, are unanimous in their advice on the subject — the moment you realize you are lost, stay put.  Don’t panic.  This will give rescuers the best chance to find you and deliver you to safety.

This advice is no less potent when we find ourselves lost metaphorically.

Lost in your romantic relationship?  Stay put.  Jumping into a new love affair is akin to wandering off on an unmarked trail, and just as likely to get you where you want to be.  Breaking up out of panic will do no better in helping quell your feeling of confusion, as regret will creep in and make you feel more lost than before.

Spiritually lost?  Stay put. Abandoning faith or rushing to a new path without deep introspection and diligent study will assuredly result in a greater crisis than before.

Lost professionally?  Stay put. Though everything that troubles you about your career or position may indeed be undesirable, reflexively leaping to the next opportunity just because it is a way out is unlikely to improve your situation.

However you are lost, stay put.  Rather than panic and compound your troubles, stay calm and view the situation and your choices with clarity.  Ask any Boy Scout – this is the only way your better life can find you and deliver you to safety.