A powerful metaphor that has captured the essence of life's journey through time and experiences. Just like a highway, life is filled with twists, turns and unexpected detours. Navigating the bumps, dead ends, roadkill and outright potholes can be menacing. Whether you find yourself on the onramp gearing up for a merge, traveling at break-neck speed in the fast lane or embarking on a whimsical ride topping out at 40mph, you're going somewhere. The trick...finding the motivation and courage to travel the journey that is uniquely yours! As we gas up to hit the road of life, it's important to ride in style......and with grace.
Let's talk about the journey for a minute and the companions that find their way into our cars, hearts or even trunks. These are the reasons any journey becomes meaningful. From the moment we are born, we embark on a path filled with learning, growth and discovery. We encounter various landscapes - both beautiful and serene, others challenging and rugged. Each stretch of life's highway brings with it new experiences and lessons, literally shaping who we are and who we become. The people we pick up along the way are all cast members in our journey. There is a certain magic and mysticism behind the way our lives intertwine with those around us. Almost, dare I say, it's as if there is a greater force at work, guiding our footsteps and orchestrating the connections we make. All I know is it's a reminder that there is something extraordinary about our connections and that we are all connected in ways we can't comprehend. That's kind of cool.
Pack lightly. Carrying your past is heavy. Unless you've got a chiropractor on speed dial, drop the past and give your back a break. Traveling this road will be tricky enough, why travel with the past in tow? Acknowledge the past, reframe the experience and find something positive within it then embrace where you are now and move forward. Each journey is meant to be transformative. We'd be silly to believe we're meant to travel a newly paved road. No such luck. So, drop the baggage, give yourself some grace and make room for the future.
Slow your roll. Why so fast? It's hard, I know. I try really hard to listen to my inner voice when she says, "enjoy the ride, enjoy the beauty of the present" and so on, but realistically I feel like I'm not the luxuriate type. Always on the move, living all frazzle dazzle and flying by the seat of my pants. Some might call that overwhelmed or disorganized. On the contrary, I feel in total control, fully awake, fully conscious and fully sober...I'm just busy. I'm guilty of not stopping to smell the roses, no doubt. It's something I'm aware of, give myself grace for and work on. We all end up somewhere and it's not a race. I've also heard everyone gets a parking spot at the end so what's the rush?
Ah, the detours! Those unexpected changes in the route we didn't plan for. The ones that force us to take a different path. A challenge. A setback. An obstacle we didn't anticipate. Now what? Do we follow those on the journey ahead of us, taking the safe and predictable route? Often times we must, if it's the logical path. Other times, why not off-road a bit and forge a new way? Why not carve a new road that would make journeys a bit easier for the fella behind you? Either way, detours offer us the chance to learn adaptability and resilience. Proving that even when things don't go as planned, there is still a path forward.
Downshift. I learned to drive with a standard stick-shift, believing if you can drive a stick-shift - you'd never be stranded and could easily hop aboard that deserted school bus that has been inoperable since the late 80's. You know the one, it sits in a field with trees and twigs growing out its windows. In that reality, I'd simply pop the clutch and get that baby revving. I'd save us all! I regress. Downshifting means to begin to stop. Every journey requires breaks and pauses. They are vital for reflection, rest and rejuvenation. Also, for reassessment. Does the path still work for you? Are you making progress? Does your back hurt because, although you've tried, you're still wearing your past like an itchy sweater? Stops and starts are critical to the journey. The destination isn't going anywhere so remember to stop, refocus, clean out the trash you've collected along the way, gas up, grab a coffee and then restart. The freedom to explore, pursue passions and define our own success is thrilling and connects us all - as we are the living embodiment of the human spirit. The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.
With large rocks to climb, likely small ones to trip over and all sorts of milestones that will mark where you've been, the journey is what you make of it. Musicians have been filling concert venues for decades singing about life's journey. The Beatles, Rascal Flatts, Monty Python and even Winnie the Pooh have tremendous perspective to share about the Highway of Life. Not sure about you, but I'd prefer to ride endlessly, content to never arrive.
