Earlier this month I was driving to Colorado Springs to visit family for Mother’s Day.  It was a Saturday and traffic was heavy as usual.  I found myself getting frustrated and losing patience… so to distract myself I started thinking about some of the things that were going on in my life and that’s when a realization struck me.  I saw driving and the heavy traffic as an analogy for the universe testing us in life.

When we’re driving, just like in life, we are always headed in a specific direction.  That direction may change…rarely or frequently…but at any given point, you are headed toward a destination.

Now, I noticed an interesting thing about the flow of traffic.  Despite the fact that there were lots of cars, it was not simply a single string of cars that went for miles and miles and miles.  Instead, it seemed to come in clumps of really slow traffic, as people tried to pass the slow moving campers and such, and then stretches of no traffic where you could once again reach “cruising” speed.  This was where it really struck me as a test.

As you are moving through life…living on purpose or following your true path or trying to live by your values everyday or simply trying to incorporate that one daily habit that’s important to you…the universe will test you to see how committed you truly are.  Like the flow of traffic, you will go through long stretches where you’ve reached your cruising speed and it looks like nothing can go “wrong.”  And then…seemingly out of nowhere…you hit a speed bump.  At first it could seem like a really big bump…a string of cars that goes for miles and miles and miles… but look more closely, it might simply be a small clump of slow moving cars.  And, really, in either case you simply have to show a little bit (or a lot) of patience and trust and keep heading in your intended direction.  Then, before you know it, you’ll be back in the clear and cruising once again.

The final thing I picked up on, were the times when traffic slowed and my impatience began to build…until I looked down and realized that I was still cruising…maybe not at my chosen speed, but certainly at or above the posted speed limit.  So, what I perceived to be another “bump in the road,” was merely an opportunity to pause, catch a breath, and remind myself of the importance of patience and trust.  How often do we find ourselves in that situation in life?  Not only will the universe test us, if we are staying true and focused, the universe will also support us and remind us when we need to take that little breather to help keep us strong and healthy and on course!

May you pass all of your tests with flying colors.

Copyright 2004 © Spiral of Life Coaching – Laurie Valaer