“A Picture Says a Thousand Words” ~ A wise saying

The month of September can be very challenging as we gear up for the September to June challenge. I would like to share a special metaphor that has served me well in life. I can thank my Dad for it. This metaphor has helped me be wise in difficult times.

I grew up in Toronto and at the age of 19, my Dad taught me how to drive. He drove me to Yorkdale, a large shopping mall, at night when no one was there. We would drive around and around. He insisted I learn a standard. We had an automatic, but he held firm despite my whining. He said total freedom to go anywhere in the world meant learning how to drive a stick shift. We all have different definitions of freedom!!

So I nervously stripped the gears, and the car leapt forward. Dad and I bounced around as I made one mistake after another. But Dad was firm and determined, so we endured through my learning. Over time, the mistakes became less and I was reading the terrain while managing the inside workings of the car. I had to stay alert. In an automatic you don’t have to pay as much attention to the motor so you can kind of be on autopilot, but not with a standard. Quite a difference between the two.

When I began lecturing at the University of Toronto, I remember thinking that life is like driving a stick shift. So many of us are on autopilot and snooze through life. We lose the muscle required to stay awake and “drive” with clarity.

We pop pills, have a drink, blame someone else (this is a biggie), zone out in front of the TV, or spend money. We don’t build the muscle of awareness and choice. We become more reactive rather than creatively alive. Discernment isn’t always a skill we learn.

Life requires us to read the terrain, know what is going on inside of us, hold perspective, observe, take action, and know when to go into our heart and when to use our thinking mind….so many skills. This is important for us to know about life. Life is like a stick shift, not an automatic. What a profound insight!!

Knowing when to move forward, when to pause and allow for integration, and when to reverse or step back is important for our health – emotional and physical. But is takes alertness, awareness and commitment. No snoozing, unless you are aware you are consciously taking a break.

In this month of September demands will come our way, and themes like pacing, listening to our bodies, and honouring our needs become important navigational tools. Most of us don’t listen to our bodies. We are thinking, and the thought navigates us rather than what our bodies need. This is an important month for self-care as we gear up for the fall and its plans.

In life, as with driving a car with a stick shift, we need to find balance of the external terrain and what is happening inside of us. It is important to be accountable to ourselves.

Enjoy this metaphor as a reminder of balancing life and staying wise.