Terra Incognito

your call to adventure

By Sherry Taveras

I first heard this statement from one of my favorite authors, Julia Cameron from her book The Artists Way.

“You are the Terra Incognito—the unexplored land and territory.”

Terra Incognito. It just rolls off your tongue. I think words show up in our lives at certain times asking to be known-discovered.

Terra Incognito.

I love love that word! So much so that the words hang above my writing space reminding me that I/we are Explorers of our lives.

Our landscape is inward, filled with spaces and territories yet to be discovered. How exciting is that?

What does land exploration consist of? First, it requires a decision to explore—to go where others have dared to tread, beyond the familiar norms of comfort and the false sense of security they provide.

We all have a longing inside us that calls us to adventure, which is why we love epic movies that take us beyond what our minds can imagine. But these adventures are only found when we heed the call. When we are first summoned, we take ourselves, a bit of faith, and trust on the journey ahead.

I have heeded this call in pivotal seasons of my life, often met with great resistance. Moving to another country, leaving behind all I knew and felt secure in, I internally resisted for so long because of fear of the unknown.

I knew it would take all of me to dive into the deep end of emotions, unhealed trauma, and the fear of letting go into the chaos I call it.

But perhaps this is what God has wanted for us all along: that as we brave the unknown, we find He walks alongside us. In the dead silence, when we feel we need Him the most, He is there, allowing us to find our way through to the other side, trusting that we can do it.

This is what I’m learning as I continue exploring the unexplored parts of myself. Once I reach that peak, I will meet with God and plant my flag as a testament to my ascent to my Terra Incognito. I will have grown and discovered a new part of me, adding her to the great mystery that is me. As will you as you head into your great adventure that is you.

Love S. ❤️

Sherry Taveras ©️