The Gift of Disorientation: Finding Clarity in the Chaos

I was sitting in a leadership conference when I heard a speaker say something that caught me off guard: “Disorientation is a gift.”

It made me pause. A gift? I wasn’t so sure. Most of the times I’ve felt disoriented in my life didn’t feel like gifts. They felt like free falls—moments where I had no map, no anchor, no clear direction. Moments when what used to work stopped working, and what I thought I knew didn’t seem to apply anymore.

But the phrase wouldn’t leave me alone. So I looked it up. And what I discovered resonated more deeply than I expected.

“The gift of disorientation” is the unexpected value or hidden benefit that comes from seasons of confusion, disruption, or loss of bearings. It’s the moment when our world tilts and nothing feels stable—yet somehow, on the other side of that shaking, something true and strong begins to emerge.

Looking back on my own journey, some of my greatest personal breakthroughs came during these disorienting times. They didn’t look like breakthroughs at the time. They looked like failure. Or betrayal. Or burnout. Or grief. But in the wreckage of what was familiar, I found clarity, courage, and calling.

Here’s why I’ve come to believe disorientation really can be a gift:

1. It reveals what’s not working. Disorientation has a way of pulling the curtain back. Systems, routines, beliefs—things we thought were stable—get exposed. And sometimes, what’s revealed is that they weren’t serving us as well as we thought.

2. It creates openness. When we feel lost, we ask different questions. We become more curious, more teachable, more open to voices we previously ignored. Disorientation humbles us, and humility is fertile soil for growth.

3. It breaks the illusion of control. Most of us are control enthusiasts. We like predictability, clarity, certainty. But disorientation reminds us that control is often an illusion. When the illusion breaks, it doesn’t have to leave us hopeless. It can leave us more honest, more surrendered, and more anchored in what really matters.

4. It makes transformation possible. Richard Rohr describes the journey of growth in three stages: orientation → disorientation → reorientation. Disorientation is uncomfortable, but it’s also necessary. It shakes us loose from what was and gets us ready for what could be.

5. It strengthens resilience. The very moments that disoriented me most deeply have become the ones I draw strength from. They trained me. They enlarged my capacity. They taught me empathy and made me wiser.

   
   

If you’re walking through a season of disorientation, I get it. It’s not easy. But don’t rush past it. Sit with it. Listen to it. There might be a gift hidden in the fog, one that you’ll only discover by walking all the way through.

🎧 Listen Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/37lzL4Tib6mWFEMMyEOuJs?si=10c5e0021cb245bb