Can you feel the hint of fall in the air? We're in the last throes summer and yet it feels as though autumn has already gotten a toehold in the coming change. So in honor of going back to school, let's consider a bit of geography and cartography as we start to block out our calendar.

Although a map, and knowing how to read it (be it paper or digital), can be quite helpful, it barely scratches the surface of the territory we're navigating. This is true both literally and figuratively.

Think about it. All the little icons, notations, contours, altitudes, and mileage charts just give us a rough estimate of what we'll experience. One dimensional way finding is without a doubt very helpful. And yet...

A straight line between points A and B will give us a hint about what route to take and the markers along the way. It will not, however, show us what truly exists: the specifics of a nature path ( groves; waterfalls; fauna ); the culture of a city ( bookstores, bistros, local customs ); or the art that is displayed as we visit a museum ( oils, sculptures, relics ). 

The map is merely an outline and a rough idea of what is to come. Now let's overlay this onto the practice. Disciplines, methods, modalities, approaches, writings and teachings are all just maps that point us in the direction of where we'd like to be. They are not, however, the territory we'll be traversing once we're in the thick of the process. 

How comfortable are you knowing that "The Map Is Not The Territory"? (2:10)?