Ever feel like life is just one long, confusing boat ride in the middle of a very dark, very stormy ocean? Maybe you were told there’d be smooth sailing, but somehow, here you are, bobbing around, no idea where the shore is, and questioning if you should’ve taken notes during Cast Away instead of just yelling at Wilson.
Enter: Lighthouse People.
These are the people who, without fail, help you find your way back to solid ground when you feel completely lost. They don’t necessarily give you step-by-step directions (let’s be real, if they did, you’d probably ignore them anyway). Instead, they shine just enough light for you to see where you’re going, reminding you that, no, you’re not doomed to drift forever, and yes, you will in fact survive this mess.
What Makes a Lighthouse Person?
Lighthouse people aren’t just your everyday supportive friends. They have a specific superpower—clarity. They ground you. They remind you of who you are when you forget. And they do it without making you feel like a total disaster (even if you currently are a total disaster).
A lighthouse person doesn’t have to be a lifelong best friend. It could be:
- The person you call when you’re about to make a very questionable life choice, and they say, “Do we need to unpack this before you proceed?”
- The friend who reminds you of your worth when you’re spiraling over an email that read just a little too short and now you’re convinced your boss hates
- The mentor who speaks one sentence of wisdom and suddenly, boom—you remember you do in fact have a spine.
- That one person who says, “This is hard, but I know you can handle it,” and somehow, you believe them.
Why We Need Them (Especially When We Think We Don’t)
Here’s the thing about getting lost: You don’t always realize you are. Sometimes, we convince ourselves that we’re totally fine, just taking the scenic route, definitely meant to be circling the same emotional iceberg for the third time. And then, a lighthouse person comes in, casually flicks their light on, and you realize:
Oh.
Oh, no.
I have been heading straight for a metaphorical shipwreck.
And the best part? They don’t judge you for it. They don’t say, “Wow, didn’t you see that disaster coming?” They just shine their light, help you adjust your course, and let you take it from there.
How to Find Your Lighthouse People
If you’re thinking, Crap, I don’t know if I have one of these people, don’t panic. They’re out there. Sometimes, they’re the friends we’ve had all along but haven’t noticed as lighthouses because we’ve been too busy sailing in circles. Other times, they’re people we stumble upon in unexpected places—colleagues, therapists (hi!), a brutally honest yoga instructor, or even that friend-of-a-friend who unexpectedly speaks into your life at just the right moment.
A few ways to know you’ve found one:
- They don’t try to steer your ship for They just shine their light and trust you to navigate.
- You feel lighter after talking to Not in the I-just-got-talked-into-a-bad- haircut way, but in the Oh, I can breathe again way.
- They see you. The real Not just the frantic, slightly soggy sailor version of you that’s currently in distress.
- They never make you feel like a No sighing, no eye-rolling, no “not this again.” Just presence.
Being a Lighthouse for Others
Here’s where it gets interesting: You can be someone’s lighthouse, too
You don’t have to be a perfectly wise, fully put-together human to shine light for someone else. Sometimes, you’re just standing at your own shore, holding up a flashlight, yelling, “I’ve been there! Keep going this way, you’ll make it!” And honestly? That’s enough.
We don’t need to have all the answers. We just need to show up, remind people of who they are, and let them know they’re not alone in the storm.
Final Thoughts (Before You Set Sail Again)
Life is wild. It’s unpredictable. And sometimes, you’ll find yourself in waters you never meant to be in. But if you have lighthouse people—those steady, bright, guiding forces—you’ll always find your way back. And if you don’t? Keep your eyes open.
They’re out there.
And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, you’re someone’s lighthouse already.
