Drive

So I’ve now been in existence for 45 years and 9 months (including the time I was a fetus kicking around in my mum’s tummy) and I think I’ve learnt some things along the way. I’m not trying to sound smart or knowledgeable but just wanted to put something down on paper (or screen) on this day.

I was thinking about this as I was in the car earlier, so I’ll put these ideas in driving metaphors so it would be easier for me to articulate and for you to understand. Here are some good rules to live by in order to be able to have a happy and meaningful life.

DRIVE SLOW – Do you want to live a long and rich life? If so, why are you rushing through it? If you drive slowly (not too slowly that you’re hogging the road though), you get to notice the little things along the road or highway – the beautiful trees that line the pavements, a newly renovated house, a tall office block in the distance. Take time to look around and appreciate the fact that you’re rolling safely down the road, in full control of your vehicle.

WAVE – Don’t be afraid to stick out your hand to wave at others, especially if they have given way to you. Being friendly on the road, and in life, hardly ever got anyone in trouble. Do you ever notice that if you need to cut into a lane and the car behind doesn’t seem to want to let you in, sticking your hand out of the window tends to humanise and diffuse the situation – it’s almost like “Hey, there’s another human driving that car! I think I’ll let them cut in.” Wave again and say Thank You.

SIGNAL – Communicate to others what your plans are. Be open about where you want to go, what you want to do. If you can’t use words, because of the distance, the indicator is there for you. Some people come across as overly talkative, and some are just violently quiet – strive for a mid-point where you share your ideas, but at the same time are open to listening to others speak. Use your hands to signal that you have something to add, and then do it – a true conversation when everyone respects each other’s turn to speak, and also pay attention to what they say, instead of looking at their phones.

Which brings me to FOCUS – pay attention to the road in front of you and remember your final destination. You notice when you are trying to do too many things at the same time, nothing really truly gets done and worse of all, mistakes and accidents can happen. Prioritise your tasks push the things that can be done to a later time, for example when you’ve arrived home.

There are a million ways to live your life and no two people are the same, or chose the same route. Having said that, we drive on a share road and how one driver behaves can have a big impact (pun?) on others. Drive safe.