Article 10 2005

INSPIRITRIX.COM

Article 10, 2005

DETOUR AHEAD

“The really happy person is the one who can enjoy the scenery, even when they have to take a detour.”
—Sir James Jeans

Just when things seem to be moving along nicely and you’ve picked up some momentum, up pops something that sends you in a completely different direction. What do you do when you are sidetracked? Keep a good attitude as you go with it and keep your eyes open! You may discover something completely unexpected and beautiful that enhances or, in some instances, even replaces your original goal. Even if it turns out the detour doesn’t take you in a better direction, it may involve lessons that benefit you in the end, including the important lesson of how to get back on course.

Several months after the four hurricanes of the summer of 2004 hit Florida, I drove there from California to visit my cousins who had survived a double hit to their town. Once I left Highway 40, the main highway that cuts across the U.S., and headed south, the drive got more complicated. Besides several interchanges to sort out in order to circumvent some of the major cities and get onto the correct highways, there were innumerable detours to navigate due to massive highway construction. That was stressful enough, but to complicate matters, rain impeded my view of the confusing clusters of temporary signs which, without advance notice, indicated several highways at once in all different directions. Now, I’m a seasoned driver from Los Angeles, but by the time I got to Florida I was pretty fed up with not being in the right place at the right time, getting lost, and having to stop to ask directions every few hours in order to get back on track.

As if things weren’t frustrating enough, my cousins and I had neglected to anticipate just how busy at work they would be upon my arrival in Florida. I was on my own once again. No problem, I thought. After all, I had just proved how adventurous I was. Unfortunately, even though I had street maps to follow, Florida had yet to replace its many street signs that were lost in the hurricanes, so getting wherever I wanted to go was not easy. Every day I would miss my turn, or take a wrong turn, or get lost. It was not fun and I got to the point of no longer wanting to venture out alone.

It took me about a week to get okay about getting lost. After all, it was simply an inconvenience. What could I learn from it? I learned there were many things of interest and beauty I could happen upon if I kept my eyes open, I learned I could be lost and be competent at the same time, I learned that I did not want to live in Florida—something I had been considering, and I learned to plan a better route for my return drive home.

A detour could be telling you to make better choices, to make a stronger plan, to be a better spouse, parent or friend, to hone your focus, to slow down, to notice what’s really important, to consider consequences, or to become aware of options.

Sustaining your life goals requires similar flexibility and contingency planning. As you think about your goals, take a few minutes to answer the following questions:

Are you looking at some situation or problem as more serious than need be?

Do you let roadblocks and detours stop you, or are you willing to look at alternate routes to your goals?

Have you built extra time and resources in to your plan in order to prevail over anything unexpected that may, in effect, deter you?

Are you willing to ask what you need to ask and to do what you need to do until you get where you want to go?

Finally, how will it change your life if you let nothing stop you?

Take a ride on the highway of life!

“Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goals. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experiences, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs.”
—Mario Andretti

© Copyright 2005 by Robin Wilder. All rights reserved. Please honor this copyright. While this publication is intended for mass distribution, it's not to be altered in any way. You may copy it for your personal use or forward it to people whom you feel may benefit from receiving it, or you may post it to any newsgroups or forums, provided you copy or post it in the same form as it was originally published and the signature and copyright information are included in full. Editors and publishers are free to reprint this article as long as it's reprinted in its entirety and the signature and copyright information are included in full. If you have any questions or comments, please send us an email or visit www.inspiritrix.com for additional contact information.

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