I'll get straight to the point. I need guidance. I feel blind at finding my way through life, the result being that I haven't accomplished much, either personally or professionally.

Let's say there's an ideal person, my hero. I know he exists but he's trapped in a tree; he's in and of the tree. I don't know the creases of his hands or the shape of his nose, but he is in there, perfectly defined. I have to hack and chip away the uncertain wood to reveal the him, but I must avoid destroying the him in the process. How can this be done?