Just follow the GPS...
I have teenage drivers here at home.
And while they’re both pretty proficient for around town driving,
We’ve not spent much time on the highway.
Which is fine, you know, when they want to do things in town.
But when they have to go somewhere that requires highway driving,
That’s another thing altogether.
This afternoon one of my girls made plans to see a friend several towns over,
About 25 minutes away if you take the highway.
She was nervous to do it alone, so I told her I’d ride with her,
Coach her through this unfamiliar route.
A quick trip there and back…no biggie.
I buckled in the passenger’s seat, watching her adjust the mirrors
And then queue up the address on the GPS.
“Forty-five minutes? Last time I went there, it only took 25!” she said.
I shrugged, “There must be traffic. Just follow the GPS.”
The system navigated us off the turnpike and
Onto a road leading through the next town over.
I didn’t think anything of it, figuring it was sending us on a different highway.
But it didn’t.
Instead, it took us the back way through one town and then another
And it finally dawned on me:
She had set her GPS to “avoid highways”.
🤦♀️
When we got to her destination, we confirmed it.
One decision, made the day she got her license, and forgotten about
Continued to have impacts down the line.
It made me think of all the times I’ve made decisions
Without understanding the ripple effects, for good and not-so good.
It made me think of all the times I’ve made my life easier in the moment
And it turned out to make my life harder in the end.
It made me think of all the times there was a faster route to where I was going
And how I took the long way anyway, having to learn some lessons
Over and over and over again.
Like slow down a minute and check to make sure everything is in order
Before I burst into action.
I’m grateful for my journal, my trusty friend,
Who serves as my travel log, my copilot, and my coach,
Helping me remember where I’ve been and what I’ve learned,
Helping me course correct when necessary,
Celebrating with me all my baby steps of progress.
It’s the most reliable way I know to be sure
That I’m traveling the most optimal route
So I get to my destination at the right time.
Do you use your journal in this way?
Journal Prompts
Use these prompts as written or as inspiration to uncover what you need in your life this week. And know that I’m always here to support you and answer questions you have along the way!
How often do you make a plan and get so busy with the execution, you don’t come back to make sure that you’re still on the right track?
What shortcuts have you made thinking it’ll make your life easier, only to make it harder for you in the long run?
What systems do you have in place to ensure you’re living in alignment with your goals and values?
Who are your support people, the ones who are willing to inconvenience themselves to help make things easier for you?
What role does gratitude play in your ongoing efforts to achieve your goals?
One Journaling Idea
Gratitude Wide and Deep
Fill your heart - and your journal - with gratitude in this two part exercise.
Start by making a big list of all the things you’re grateful for. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write everything you can think of. See if you can fill a whole page!
Then choose one thing from your list that really stands out to you. Deepen your gratitude by asking:
Why am I grateful?
and
How can I show my gratitude?
Be sure to really take the time to feel the weight of your gratitude.
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Save on Your Next Journal
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Happy Journaling!
Such a brilliant lesson there. We try to frame in our house as “be nice to your future self”. It’s a similar thing.
In a way your daughter had put the handbrake on her future decisions and that had held her back. I wonder what else that’s more subtle we are doing like that’s less obvious.
Mmm, need to thing this one a little more. Thanks for the prompt.