Author: Jim Gohrick (Page 131 of 159)

How a person drives can be an indication of what’s going on behind the scenes.

I’m not quite sure why it manifests while driving a vehicle in traffic, but some of us can use these moments to justify their anger and then direct it at others. Even though I’m not proud of it – I do it. What’s the rub?

Sometimes I find myself at a 4-way stop sign verbally giving commands on who should go next and waving my hands while alone in my car.

I do find that when I’m in a giving and loving place with myself, I tend to drive the same way. I allow people to change lanes in front of me, give them space to pull out of a driveway instead of racing to fill the gap and so on.

In fact, it bothers me that I get frustrated so fast. This is something I intend to explore in order to be more patient on the road.

After all, we could all use a little more love. Especially on the freeways.

Skepticism is useful. Pessimism is useless.

Questioning authority is necessary. Sarcasm gets old real fast.

Whit can be charming, but being a smart @$$ is certainly not attractive.

As I moved through my younger years and into more life experiences, I had to discover these lessons for myself. We were all young and inexperienced at one time in our lives. Don’t beat yourself up over it.

I think what’s more important is where you’re evolvement is heading.

Don’t remain stagnate. Nothing is more unattractive than a person who refuses to evolve over time, peaked in high school and needs to tell you about those past accomplishments as he’s blowing his beer soaked breath on you at the 20 year reunion.

I’ve always admired people who move through life with grace. There is something about them that makes me want to be around them more. Especially when going through some sort of crisis and/or difficulty. It’s as if they know a secret that no one else does. And maybe they do.

Maybe they realize there is something much larger than the immediate problem they’re dealing with at hand. Maybe they know huffing and puffing through life is no way to carry on in order to evolve as we connect and support others. Or maybe they know how to pull back the zoom lens on their lives and keep in perspective what’s important.

I find when I get worked up about something in my day to day I’m too close to the issue and need to get proper perspective. Is the importance of this issue really match your reaction? Maybe we need to put this situation into perspective, Jim.

Probably so.

Grace. So elegant. Unassuming. Dignified. And strong.

Do you have to know where you are before you know where you’re going? Maybe. Sounds logical. But, in life it can be a challenge knowing exactly where you are. This is why I believe having a great support group of friends and family in your immediate circle is vital. People who have your best interests in mind.

This close knit group can help you gauge where you are – but more importantly support you as you move forward in the direction you intend to go. Sometimes knowing the where you are headed can be more crucial than exactly where you are in the moment. Because life is fluid. Because you are always evolving, you will soon pass through the current phase onto bigger and better things. Where is that?

A crude metaphor: When exercising on a run or swimming laps or whatever it may be, we may get lost in the miles. How far have I gone? How many more laps? What seems to me to be more important is the fact that you are out there doing it. Putting in the work. You will get back to your finish line all in due time. Just keep running. Continue swimming. Push through.

It reminds me of a story about a kid who was around 16-17 years old. I believe he had down syndrome and he was going to run a race with his family. There were two races that started at the same time: one was a 5k (3 miles) and the other was a marathon. Somehow he got split up with his family and onto the wrong course -running in the marathon. He ended up running the entire race without any prior training and crossed the finish line. After he got reunited with his family, they asked him why didn’t you stop? His response was, “I knew if I just kept running, I would eventually end up at the finish line.”

We all know how the only constant in life is change – which is true, however I’m also as much – or more interested in my immutable evolvement within that change.

When we accept our fate of transformation, we are facile and more nimble. We are welcoming into our lives possibility. Limitless possibilities. Becoming comfortable with the unknown can certainly be a challenge for us, however, living in the mystery of what could be energizes and excites me.

One of the ways to get there is by letting go of your expectations and getting comfortable in the unknown. This can be a challenge – even for the best of us – to remain calm without panicking as we take that leap of faith into the darkness. However, I’m convinced this can bring great changes into your world.

Let’s all get comfortable being in the dark.