Stephen Covey, in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, uses the following analogy:

“Suppose you wanted to arrive at a specific location in central Chicago. A street map of the city would be a great help to you in reaching your destination. But suppose you were given the wrong map. … You might work on your behavior, you could try harder, be more diligent, double your speed. But your efforts would only succeed in getting you to the wrong place faster. … The fundamental problem has nothing to do with your behavior or your attitude. It has everything to do with having a wrong map. … Each of us has many, many maps in our head, which can be divided into two main categories: maps of the way things are, or realities, and maps of the way things should be” (Covey, 1989, p. 26).

This passage stayed with me because it captures something I’ve often felt but never had language for. In our day-to-day lives, so much advice about mental health sounds like “try harder,” “think more positively,” or “just change your mindset.” But Covey’s analogy reveals why those strategies often fall short. If the map we are following is inaccurate, our best efforts can only lead us in circles.

For people living with trauma, stigma, or distorted beliefs about themselves, the “maps” in their minds may not lead them where they want to go. A person might believe they are unworthy of love, undeserving of rest, or incapable of change and no amount of working harder or putting on a smile can erase the directions those maps provide. In fact, the harder they try, the more lost they may feel.

This idea resonates deeply with how recovery and healing are often misunderstood. Too often, society frames mental health challenges as a matter of willpower or attitude. But what Covey points out is that the real issue lies deeper: we need to redraw the maps we use to navigate life. For some, that may mean therapy to uncover and challenge core beliefs. For others, it might mean finding community, art, or language that reshapes how they view themselves and the world.

What I find powerful about this passage is its hopefulness. If we are lost, it doesn’t mean we are doomed or broken. It may simply mean we were handed the wrong map, or that life experiences distorted the one we drew ourselves. With new tools, new knowledge, and new support, we can create maps that guide us toward connection, healing, and purpose.

Link to “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” https://www.amazon.ca/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743269519

Feature Image: Deviant Art https://www.deviantart.com/puchdyn/art/Old-Navigation-1157421914