Life Lessons your GPS can Teach
Last week as I was driving to the airport I began to think about the Global Positioning System in my car. I noticed how patient Ken was. Ken is the voice setting that gives me directions. Before long I had to make a detour that took me in the opposite direction to the airport. I then noticed that Ken didn’t start a tantrum, or shout at me, but calmly asked me to change direction, repeatedly, until I was back on track. This started me thinking…
It’s a fact that wherever you drive, your GPS knows exactly where you are, and this is true in life as well. We all have our place in the world, albeit many roles. You may be a parent, a worker, or maybe a student, but at the same time you are you. Each one of us is a unique individual and has a valuable place in this world. Just think about it. Your GPS shows you exactly where you are, and no one else is in that particular spot, and this is true in life, you alone are the only person to fulfil your role in this lifetime.
The truth is that as you move through life you take yourself with you. Just like the GPS, you can run, but you can’t hide. Many people believe that things will get better if they move house, move state, move country or drastically change their lifestyle. However, very often they fail to realize that they take themselves with them. Their personality, their beliefs, their habitual actions all stay with them and before long the situation they have moved away from is recreated once again. It makes sense doesn’t it to take a look at your intrinsic values and beliefs, and examine them and correct them before taking any drastic measures?
Many of us find it difficult to keep on track when we start moving in a new direction, whether it be losing weight, or beginning a new avenue of learning. It is so true that we start out enthusiastically, and then we get distracted away from our objectives, and before long the goals we are aiming for gradually fade away. This often makes you angry at yourself or others and can end in you giving up on a dream. Ken never has this problem. He simply moves back on track. Your GPS knows that with a few turns you can soon be heading in the right direction.
I encourage you to take this lesson on board.
There is no need to beat your-self up when you slip off track, simply stay calm and move right back on the correct path. Remember, that however many times you veer off you always have the option to move back and achieve the outcome you desire.
All of us tend to let our thoughts wander as we drive along, very often we go for miles on automatic pilot without having any idea of where we are. Isn’t it so true of life as well? Ken, on the other hand, always knows where he is and what is happening around him. He is focused and aware. If you find yourself going through life in this automatic mode, then you are missing out on being truly alive. From now on, why not use your car GPS or even your mobile phone GPS as a catalyst to remind yourself to live in the moment. When you practice mindfulness, even for a few minutes at a time, your life becomes calmer; you feel peaceful and start to think more clearly.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a real Ken in your life, to give you guidance when you start to slip off the track? Sometimes we get pigheaded and think we know best without considering any impartial points of view. All of us have people in our lives who would be happy to give us a new perspective. This doesn’t mean you have to take their advice. Like Ken my GPS, he often takes me along the major highways when I know that there is a short cut through a back street that will bring me to my destination sooner.
Alternatively, sometimes you meet with some road works, and you have to ignore the GPS for a time and go a longer way around. Bear in mind what other people, books or courses have to say and then either follow that advice or decide your own direction. At least then you know that you have considered other points of view, and therefore, you are making an informed decision.
From now on, my wish is for you to remember these lessons each time you notice or hear your GPS system and that it may just give you the push to continue on to achieve your dreams.
