How are you? I hope you have been enjoying spring, and I hope spring is being kind to you. In England we had a few days of utterly glorious weather. I instantly dropped all plans to do anything else, and sat in the garden with a book for 2 and a half days. I’ve lived in this country a few years now and I know to make the most of great weather when you have it if you can. So I do. It’s worth remembering that you are in charge of your life, and if you want to enjoy good weather (or whatever else you wish to enjoy) you need to give yourself the permission and the time. If the world won’t end (and you won’t get sacked) if you stop and enjoy life for an hour, then stop and enjoy life!
For this week’s article, I dug into the archives and found an article I love from 2005. It’s still as relevant now, and was an interesting one for me to read – my road has again changed…and although it is 75% the right road, I need to find a way to get onto the 100% right road. Interesting how such an ‘old’ article can be so relevant isn’t it? It reminds me of one of my blog readers who goes to my website every day and if there is no new article, looks up an old one, using the site as a kind of oracle. She finds that more often than not the blog post she reads is very relevant to her on that day! Try it. Leave me a comment on the post you read to let me know what you think!
– Running on the Right Road –
“What’s the use of running when we are not on the right road?” – German proverb. You know how I love my road-based metaphors so I was delighted to find this quote…and it hits me right in the solar plexus. Fortunately, I am on the right road, but for many years I wasn’t and I still remember knowing that all my ‘running’ wouldn’t bring me the fulfilment I sought.
Even with this knowledge, it was 6 years before I realised that the way to find the right road was to stop and look round at the one I was on…then find the link roads to it. It’s like when you’re lost when you’re driving (or is that just me?) – you need to know where you are so you can figure out how to get to where you need to be.
And, as with real driving, there are signposts which either point you in the right direction or tell you you’re in the wrong place. For example, ever seen a sign on the M1 saying ‘London 100 miles’ when you wanted to be heading towards Leeds? (or is that just me too?) Often the signposts in your life aren’t quite as obvious, but they are there.
These signs are much easier to see when you stop running for a while and look around you. Are you where you want to be? Do you know where the road you are on will take you? Is that where you want to go? Will your hard work, or ‘running’ pay off? How? Is this going to bring you joy?
I often see people who are scared by the answers to these questions, because they think that if they are not going in the right direction, there will have to be huge upheaval. This is not necessarily so – just by knowing, you are a step ahead. Personally, I like huge upheaval but I can see that I could have achieved the same end with less disruption – it just would have taken longer.
Even if you’re on the right road, it’s worth stopping to check – I’ve recently discovered I was on a different road to the one I expected to be on right now. I am happy with it, and now I know about it I can work with it and make sure I still get to the right destination. So, are you on the right road?
– Something to Play With –
Book an hour this week in your diary to stop and look around at the road you are running on. Is it the right road? If so, celebrate! If not, celebrate! Well, now you know, you can decide to start looking for the right road to run on. To find out how coaching can help you find the right road to run on, contact me now. Want to share your thoughts on this article? Leave a comment below.
Love
Donna.x