Monday, June 4, 2012

The Ride...


The Ride…

Summertime…my favorite time of year is back.  Summertime always makes me think of vacation…and vacation makes me think of theme parks…and theme parks make me think of going on all the rides…

I really love riding roller coasters at theme parks.  Don’t you?

Riding coasters and other rides and attractions are somewhat of a metaphor for our lives…does this sound familiar to anyone:

Up…Down…Slow Down…Speed Up…Twists…Turns...Fun Times (during the fast, fun downhill part)…but not without nervous anticipation (during the climb)…Bumpy, shaky, rough patches while spinning, turning through the loops…followed by smooth transitions back to a satisfying, fun, and exciting cruise as we glide back to where we started…

Every single time, upon the conclusion of any ride, the first thing we say and think is, “Wanna go again?”

We forget so quickly about the nervous anticipation.  The memory of the bumpy, shaky rough patches is short-lived.  The helpless, scary feeling of spinning out of control was scary, but we survived.  Yet, it was all worth it to experience those precious moments of awesome…those fun moments, racing down the hill, ‘taking flight’, laughing, smiling, and genuinely enjoying the ride.

Our lives, both at home and at work, are a similar ride, complete with those same Ups, Downs, Twists, Turns, Bumpy rough patches…and those same fun moments, when our careers, friendships, relationships, and experiences truly ‘take flight’. 

When the bumpy rough patches, nervous moments, and unexpected twists and turns find their way into our lives, we should remember that they will be so short-lived.  We should think, “this too shall pass”. 

Sure, life gets in the way sometimes and things are tough to navigate.  Bad days are an unfortunate reality…they happen.  Wherever we are in life and through whatever ‘rough patches’ we face in between the fun times, we should remember this mental OneMoreStep:

A roller coaster we can ride again by simply getting back in line.  In life, however, the job, the friendships, the relationships, and the experiences we have today may not last forever. 

So no matter how bumpy it gets at times…ENJOY THE RIDE.  If we don’t take that mental OneMoreStep to do so, we’ll look back one day and wish that we did.  We may have that familiar desire to “go again…”, but it just may be too late.

Go OneMoreStep…Enjoy the ride.

Life ain’t always beautiful, but it’s a beautiful ride…” – Gary Alan

Have a great day.

Taylor

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