Wouldn't it be wonderful if our comprehensive life experience could be characterized by an endless string of perfectly clear sunny days with no obstacles to clarity? It would be fabulous to wake up every morning without a cloud in the sky, no storms on the horizon. Unfortunately, none of us have the luxury of this phenomenon. Life is, and always will be, punctuated by moments when our vision becomes compromised in varying degrees. The question remains, however, whether we will adjust to those conditions appropriately.
One of the biggest mistakes we make as humans is failing to pay attention and respond to our situation when those circumstances require heightened awareness. If we were driving down the highway and entered a dense patch of fog, our instincts would tell us to slow down in order to navigate the terrain safely. We may even turn off the radio, get off the phone or eliminate any other distraction that may prohibit us from giving our undivided attention to what could be a precarious moment. If that fog was so thick that we couldn't see at all, we might pull over to wait until it clears. We may even exit the roadway completely to circumvent a potential disaster. Why then, in life, when we find ourselves in a phase that is marked by confusion or disorientation, aka a "mental or emotional fog", do we often find ourselves still plowing down the road with our pedal to the medal? Do we not realize that this is an indication that we need to slow down and gain our bearings in order to be more mindful, responsible and safe on our journey?
Life isn't going to throw us blue skies and rainbows 24/7/365. Not only are we going to have to weather some storms along the way, we may often feel as though we have crossed into the Bermuda Triangle and that all of our navigation tools are spinning in circles. These are the times when we need to ease off the gas, make use of ALL of our senses, to take in the moment and understand where we are and what is going on. Failing to do so might find us halfway up the tailpipe of a semi, flying off the side of a cliff, or 300 miles off course. If we can learn to navigate life CARE-FULLY when these moments occur, we will emerge from the fog relieved to see that we actually recognize what is on the other side.
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