Road Signs

“I am impressed when people do not get stuck. When you move, things change.”  Dianne Watkins, R.N. (and my sister)

There are a lot of road signs in our country.  When you travel, you can’t help but notice them. Many cities have adopted ordinances restricting their placement. When a political campaign is on-going, it seems that signs multiply – no law can stop them.

What is the purpose of a road sign? Some signs give instructions needed immediately; others tell us what to expect in the near future down the road.  Some signs warn us about dangers, like a sharp curve, a deer crossing, or railroad tracks. And then there are endless billboard advertisements for product sales from various companies.  Some signs provide helpful information about distances to cities, restaurants and service stations along the route.

What about the all-important ‘road signs’ in our personal lives?  The people around us and what they are saying to us.   Are you aware of these road signs? And more importantly – are you reading them?!

My sister, Dianne, has been working as a nurse for many years. She uses the symbolism of road signs in her work in counseling the patients she serves.  She cannot do their work for them, but can point out things that will help.   Like a regular highway road sign, her work involves pointing out the road ahead and what to expect.    There may be a curve ahead requiring you to slow down. Sometimes, there is a stop sign. Other times, it is just useful information to help make decisions that will affect one’s life.

We have plenty of road signs in life – so many that we also may want to regulate them just as  municipalities do throughout America.  Before we look at our road signs, we need to review something far more fundamental: We need to look at our road.  The chosen road is going to have a greater effect on the signs I see more than anything else. On what road are you traveling? Your answer matters.  No one can help you determine which road signs to read and follow if you are not first on the right road.  And only you can decide which road is right for you. Does this make sense?

What is the right road?  Answer the following questions quickly – do not stop to analyze them. What does your heart say?

Do you have passion for your major activities? Are you in the right job or career? The right company? The right department? The right retirement? Are you currently doing what you are meant to do with your life?  If the answer “yes!” did not fly off the page, then it may be time to look at the current road sign, blaring neon lights at you. It says, ‘there is a roadside park ahead. It’s time to pull off the road and spend some time thinking about your current life.’

No one can help you with any of the road signs of life if you are traveling on the wrong road. Get on the right road, and you will not only see the signs you need to see, but you will also embrace them with great passion. You will begin to love signs that indicate what is ahead. If you are doing what you are meant to do, the road ahead is exciting! You can’t wait to get there. Does this make sense?

The concept I am presenting is so important that a section of my new book, The BET, is dedicated to helping people find their life’s passion and strength. For those who have already found it, this section provides comfort and affirmation.

Life is short. Everyone should be doing something each day for which they have passion, and that they are great at doing. If not, then another road should be considered. Take time to figure this out and select wisely.

Congratulations, if you are currently on the right road! Success — being the best at what you are meant to be in life – is possible for you. It is not automatic, though. You need to do the work, as my sister would say. “Chop wood and carry water,” is a phrase she often uses.

That phrase may have multiple meanings to others, but to me it is simply all about the basics – everyday tasks. While seemingly boring at times, these daily duties are foundational for ensuring success. If we are on the right road, then what we do each day really does matter.  Every job, every career is founded on basics. Doing the basics is simply reading the road signs and following immediate and vital advice that is right there for us to read, grasp and engage.

My sister continues her conversation.  She counsels her patients to look for passion in an idea, or in another person. I find it interesting that she advises those who are struggling to seek passion as a major element of her effort in helping them.  Is that not what all of us need to discover so that we can get on the right road of life?  Find passion!

If we are on the right road, doing what we are meant to do in life, then sometimes it comes down to just doing the basics, the fundamentals.  ‘Chopping wood’ and ‘carrying water’ can represent some of the most fundamental things I do each day. And yet, those fundamentals are foundational to my success and to my goals in serving those around me.

What are the current road signs in your life? Is it time to pay close attention to them?  What basics do you perform each day that matter? How’s your passion?

Is it time to pull off at the roadside park and consider what you are doing? Are you on the right road? If you are on the right path, are you reading the important signs? This coming weekend may provide a couple of days for an old-fashioned concept that our grandparents might have suggested. Think!

Stop!  Go! Slow down! Watch for . . .