Roller Coaster or Road?
This question might seem a little strange, but it came up today on one of the podcasts I listen to every day.
We’re all subject to life’s events. There’s nothing we can do to avoid being subject to them, nor can we prevent others from being subject to them or change the situation—one way or another.
There’s no way to stay in the same place, even if we want to very much, or if we view our lives as stable and highly predictable.
As I’ve already mentioned in several posts I’ve made here in this community, the most important task remains. We must look at these situations and give the response we deem appropriate. Knowing, then, that the response we give to the situation will, objectively, determine how we view the outcome or the situation itself.
We can also view our lives as one of two options. Either we see it as a roller coaster, where we’re in a car, and even though we’re securely fastened to it, fear often overwhelms us—and rationally we know we won’t fall, but life gives us that impression. In other words, even though we’re safe, we can’t feel that safety inside, and we cling with all our might to the metal bar across our laps… But we always know that, ever since life began, there’s nothing we can do to change its course—hence the roller coaster’s tracks and the ups and downs, loops, and twists it takes…
Or we can see it as a drive down a country road. We’re behind the wheel of a car, and all we have to do is drive from a starting point to another location. We decide the speed, the curves, and the route we’ll take, so we have greater control over how we’ll get there—and, in addition to controlling the steering wheel, we also have the pedals at our disposal. We can press harder on the gas pedal, or ease off… to take the curve more gently, or even hit the brakes. We can look through the windshield or in the rearview mirror, but we can only control where we’d like to go. We have the confidence of knowing that’s where we want to go, but also the peace of mind that, if that isn’t the right path, we can turn around and go the other way.
How do you see life? As a roller coaster ride, or as a Sunday drive through the countryside?
Do you see life as something predetermined, where you just have to react to what’s in front of you, or do you feel that you can change some of the things that happen to you—or that didn’t turn out the way you wanted?
It’s been 14 years today since my father passed away. Not a single day has gone by since that September 23rd that I haven’t thought of him, or missed feeling his embrace and hearing his easy laughter.
But that’s just how life is. We don’t always have everything, nor can we expect to keep everything. We have to learn to drive the car of life as best we can, without pessimism or feelings of helplessness.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
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