I can't help that I often lose my way. I consider myself somewhat of a U-Turn Queen. I have always been this way. I've never made it to my parents cottage without at least two U-Turns...sometimes finding myself 45 minutes in the wrong direction. My family makes fun of me. My friends are accustomed to it. Just last summer, I found myself lost in my hometown on my way to baseball. (I've lived there all my life, I've been playing baseball at the same field for 5 years, and my church is on the same road!!) Yes, I admit that I am directionally challenged. That's why when my dad presented me with a GPS a few months ago, I was thrilled. This meant I finally had something in my life to keep me on track.
So, of course, on my first road trip to visit a friend about three hours away I punched in the address and off I went. It was great at first, I didn't have to think about anything or worry about where I was heading. Just follow what the soft British voice was telling me and I'd get there, hopefully, U-Turn FREE!
After hitting the highway, I put on my favorite tunes and cranked them right up. I got into my usual habit of singing way to loud to music that was even louder...it was so loud in fact, that I missed all the instructions for where I was supposed to be going. When I finally realized this, I turned down the music. All I could hear was that soft British voice, still in her calming manner, saying "Recalculating" over and over again.
She wasn't saying "You messed up" or "Now you are way off track!" She was simply recalculating the new and revised directions. Making a new plan. This made me start thinking (which is normally what gets me lost in the first place) about how great it would be to have a GPS for my Life. The moment I made a mistake, all I would have to do is listen to what the new plan for my Life would be. What revised directions would get myself back on the right path to where I ultimately want to end up. I suppose that all of us, to some extent, have a GPS built into our beings; our conscience. In my experience it has told me when to call my mom and tell her I love her. It has told me when to apologize to a loved one. It has told me when to go for those big things in life I've been working for. It has told me when it is time to go home. So far, my inner GPS has told me when a relationship isn't right. I'm hoping that it will also tell me when one is.
Everyone is born with this GPS built into their being. Some people (like serial killers, UFC fighters, and lawyers to name a few) chose to turn their GPS system off. Some people (like crack addicts, professional sports players *cough*TIGER*cough*, and large fuel companies) bury it so far into their subconscious that it disappears from their reality until it is finally uncovered. The majority of us just get so into the music, that we forget to listen to the directions it is telling us. It is easy to get so caught up in the moment, that you don't even hear everything that is going on around you.
My route was "Recalculated" and as I continued my journey (via the alternative route) to my final destination, I said "Thank you!" to the small black GPS systems calling out directions for me. I also took a few minutes to thank my inner GPS (Greatness Positioning System)...so far, as long as I'm listening, it won't lead me astray. I just have to remember to keep listening!
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