Coddiwomple, by April Rinne

Coddiwomple is one of my all-time favorite words, especially as a metaphor for life. It means to travel purposefully towards an as-yet-unknown destination. Isn't that what we're all doing, at the end of the day? So why do we often pretend otherwise?

You can coddiwomple through a city, or you can coddiwomple your career. You can coddiwomple your way to success by defining it on your own terms. Coddiwompling, you realize that "making it" and "getting there" are constantly evolving, ever changing... and that is the essence of life. Don't fret; enjoy the unexpected discoveries along the way.

Coddiwompling doesn't mean lack of direction; quite the opposite. A coddiwompler has peace of mind because she’s not waiting to “become” someone or for something else to happen. She's comfortable getting lost because she knows that’s where the truly worthwhile opportunities and aha's are to be found.

The pilgrimage of Camino de Santiago is a microcosm of coddiwompling. True, for most people the "destination" is Santiago de Compostela, yet you quickly learn that's not the real journey. The real Camino is the inner journey. It's peeling back the layers of who you are. It's an opportunity to get lost in your thoughts, to gain fresh clarity about your values and priorities, to let go of what no longer serves you... and to leave it on the trail. Because when the Camino (de Santiago) ends, the real Camino (of life) begins.

Give coddiwompling a try today. Open a new door, take a new route, trust your intuition, try that thing you've been dreaming about. See how it feels. Boost your comfort with uncertainty.

One of my favorite Camino sayings: No corras que a donde tienes que llegar es a tí mismo. (Don't run. Where you have to get to is your self.)

April Rinne is the author of Flux.

Seed Questions for Reflection

How do you relate to the notion of ‘coddiwompling’? Can you share a personal story of a time you found peace of mind because you were not waiting to ‘become’ someone or for something else to happen? What helps you to arrive at fresh clarity about your values and priorities?

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Add Your Reflection

16 Past Reflections

Gabriella Khine

Oct 13, 2023

Let go and wake up everyday with full of gratitude and excitement

Premie Naicker

Oct 12, 2023

I am a South African and traveled extensively worldwide for short periods. I have always wanted to live for an extended period in a first-world country and got the chance with my company to move to Vancouver on a 2-year work visa. Unfortunately, the company decided after 6 months to restructure and my position was made redundant. I was at a crossroads. I think I can call myself a Coddiwompler as throughout my life I metaphorically travel to unknown destinations encountering unknown challenges, opportunities and possibilities and still manage to enjoy the journey

Jeanne Missey Osgood

Oct 11, 2023

Coddiwompling reminds me of the etymology of the word, sauntering -- purposeful and reverent travel on foot through nature to the "Holy Land" -- within ourselves.

Jagannatha Das

Oct 10, 2023

It appears to me that coddiwompling is much entwined with serendipity. Coddiwompling is to travel purposefully towards an as-yet-unknown destination. A coddiwompler is comfortable getting lost because he / she knows that’s where the truly worthwhile opportunities and aha's are to be found. Serendipity is bound to be encountered when one is open to new possibilities and welcome surprises. By these definitions of the word, I have been coddiwompling all along most of my life. I like to spontaneously and impulsively simply take the next ride that crosses my path, be it a bus a train or any other mode of transportation. I also often choose which road to take at cross roads at the very last moment. I like to simply follow my gut feel. Of course I am also aware that my decisions are influenced by my conscious and unconscious biases. Nonetheles, since I have no way of knowing what exactly lies ahead, coddiwompling is my way of saying, "your will be done, and not my will". Show me the w... View full comment

Hannah

Oct 10, 2023

OMG. When I think of all the times in my long life when I've given myself grief for "not knowing my life path" or "having no goals,"...little did I realize that coddywimpling IS my life path! What a relief! Thank you!

Patrick

Oct 10, 2023

I go on “walkabout” in our local park, wandering, yet not aimlessly… }:- a.m. anonemoose monk

kimhoa mercier

Oct 10, 2023

Walking beside my bicycle, I carry all my worldly possessions. I left behind my past. Not owning a map, nor wishful thinking of the future. Each step, purposeful with no destination. I enter the Flow. Nothing behind me.

Bhargav

Oct 10, 2023

To get Lost in Serendipity as one my mentor would say.

Bhargav Oct 10, 2023

Reminds me of the book: The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo

Nirmala Mehendale

Oct 10, 2023

Gosh I now have a word to describe my philosphy - Gosh I now relise I a, a coddiwompler :))

Jagdish P Dave

Oct 6, 2023

Life is in flux. It is moving in the direction of uncertainty. I love the paradoxical truth: the only certianty is uncertainty. By embracing the unkown purposely we come to know what is true, what is real, what is the purpose of life. I love the definition of 'coddiwompling'. Coddiwompling means travel purposely towards as an yet-to-unkown destination. As the author says: "Making it" and "getting there" are constantly evolving, everchanging, and that is the essence of life." To me, life is a pilgrimage with twists and turns. Faith in the unkown is the guiding light. I do not know the way but I have deep and unchanging faith in the light within. It illuminates my path, guides me in the right direction. When I was in my teen age I had a friend. We lived by a river. One morning he came to see me and invited me to walk by the riverside to see unkown scenery. It was an adventure for us. We descided to watch the unkown scenery. We saw colors and configuarions of clowds changing. For the... View full comment

Mariette

Oct 5, 2023

What a precious word! And one I've embraced without knowing its existence. Deep intentionality in my walk, discerning every step for stronger alignment with my brilliance (i.e., my essence, my spirit, my highest self) while having let go where this take me. It's a funky, counterintuitive balance as my rational, logical mind wants to take ownership and make "it" happen. Just today, I had an opportunity show up that I would have not even considered previously because it doesn't look like it "should"; it even, on the surface, looks like a distraction from my current intentions. And yet, that said alignement is inviting me to consider it. It may just open a door into a radiant, abundance, connected and aligned next-place-to-be. I release it all to God.

David Doane

Oct 5, 2023

Now my best times are when my purpose is to live and learn and when I travel true to myself without knowing or worrying about what my destination will be. When I live that way and not wait to become someone or wait for something to happen, I have peace of mind. I used to wait until I slowly got tired of holding myself back and hurting myself, and then I started being true to myself and not waiting or trying to control destination. What helps me arrive at fresh clarity about my values and priorities is learning from life experiences, realizing that I am healthiest and happiest when enjoying the process, which is my traveling, and am not destination or outcome directed, and realizing that I get reward from living my values and priorities regardless of the outcome.

Kristin Pedemonti

Oct 5, 2023

I chose to coddiwomple to a local sanctuary today: Hawk Mountain. Beat part? I decided to use Google maps and it chose a beautiful scenic backroads route rather than the highway. So not only was the destination stunning, the way there and back were too!

And on the trail conversation flowed with 2 visitors from Washington state, one of whom happened to be in the same area of Alaska as me this summer, also for 2 months. Talk about coddiwompling! Grateful

BarbaraS.

Oct 5, 2023

Thank you, for sharing and bringing this wonderful word into my vocabulary! This is what we all should be doing, coddiwompling through life with no expectations or we set ourselves up for disappointment and sadness when things are not what we had hoped. We recently took a road trip out of town to a place we'd only briefly been before and wanted to explore more. We were very nicely surprised to find hidden gems that we were unknown to us previously. I've gone to the beach in a turmoil in my mind and it ended up being one of the best experiences as I relaxed into watching the beauty and nature unfold around me. I had no expectations but just let it unfold. I love this word, coddiwomple!