Life | Life Lessons | Inspiration

Life is a Journey with Distinct Roads to Navigate

What kind of life driver will you be?

Let me take you on a little trip, buckle up your seat belt and listen up.

Turn down the radio, open your eyes, let’s see what is around on the road that navigates life.

Each time I take a road trip, I can’t help but think, about how it compares with life’s journey in many subtle ways.

Whether this is your daily commute. A trip to do the weekly shop. Visiting family across the country. Or even a seaside trip.

As I turn on the engine, I couldn’t help but think of how these simple journeys are so much like those we take in our life.

When we set off on our car journey, it is about getting to the end. But what if you arrived there each time never enjoying any part of it? What a miserable trip that would be, don’t you think?

No matter what type of trip you have ahead, you can take something positive from it. Just open your eyes, be present in the journey wherever you drive.

Here are three things I found when navigating the roads, that reflect periods along life’s journey.

1. As I negotiate the motorway lanes, this equates to the big decisions in life.

The ones that take a lot of risks. Should I change lanes now or wait for further on? Is it clear to move over? Do I have enough time to do so? This part of the journey is when we make the big decisions in our lives.

Life-changing ones, like is this the right time to move house, get married, start a family, or even emigrate?

The ones that change our lives forever. Life-changing decisions.

When changing lanes on the highway, going past the slower traffic, those are the people still making those big decisions. They know these will change their lives, they are taking it carefully and negotiating their journey, getting safely to the end.

Can you see how changing lanes on the motorway could change the course of your journey? Get it wrong and it could end in disaster. But get it right and you continue on your journey quicker and faster.

2. As I negotiate the smaller roads, I equate these to the day-to-day decisions in life.

The times when we make a decision but those don’t affect it forever. Like should I buy that trendy handbag? Or those pink shoes. What shall we have for dinner?

The decisions that we have to make every day.

Quick decisions like is there enough time to get through the traffic lights? Will I get to the roundabout with enough time to get through?

Fast decisions need to be made quickly.

They should come with ease when you drive regularly and make them often. You learn to judge them easily and make them quickly and effortlessly.

Can you see how in life, we make day-to-day decisions, sometimes without having to think deeply about them? They are there just waiting to be made. They may always not be life-changing (unless you mistime the lights or roundabout), but they could make life just that much more interesting as you navigate the journey ahead.

3. As I negotiate the country lanes, I equate these with pleasure.

Going over the scenic routes with rolling hill views. Open spaces, cows grazing, sheep sleeping, and sunsets give way to breathtaking shades of pink yellow skies.

Those are the times when I savor the journey and enjoy every moment that it is offering.

The times in life when we relax and enjoy socializing. Taking part in activities that bring us pleasure and joy. The times when we fulfill our passions and feel at ease with ourselves.

Life is not just about getting to the end of the journey, (although in the case of work and school, it probably is, just saying) but it is also about what happens during the journey, and how you negotiate your route.

As you go through these different journeys, doesn’t it make you think how they mimic life’s journey when you look at it?

It starts with a new adventure, beginning as we turn the key in the engine, bringing it to life.

Watch the journey bring something new each day.

You can embrace it with pleasure and adventure. Avoiding the potholes, and shortcutting through the traffic jams.

Or you could be filled with road rage. Or even be a road hog who goes about life ignoring everyone, creating problems for those around them. Causing pain and feeling nothing but anger in their life and journey. Speeding along tail gaiting the person in front to move along, forgetting to watch out for their own journey.

We all arrive at our destination if we have driven carefully and made the right decisions along the way.

Just as it is in life we arrive at the end and if we have made decisions that bring us joy and happiness, we arrive at the end of our life feeling fulfilled and happy.

At ease with our choices.

At ease to be leaving behind our life knowing that we have lived it fully and appreciated every moment of it.

Life is like that journey, how are you living yours?

© Bernie Pullen, All Rights Reserved

With all this talk of roads, this piece by Debbra Lupien, Voice of the Akashic Records, really spoke to me.

Thank you for reading.

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