The other day, en route to a lunch meeting with a good friend and business associate, I was stuck in traffic — a real snarl — and I started thinking about faith and action.
Looking around at the other people on the road, the frustration was visible. Some were yelling and gesturing to the road ahead of them. Others were ranting and raving on their phones. Most everyone was periodically craning their neck to try and see what was causing the jam, but there was no clear cause for the backup.
It’s the perfect metaphor for life, isn’t it? Inevitably on the journey towards our goals and dreams, there are times when we seem to hit a standstill. Sometimes we know what’s causing the hang up; other times, it’s a complete mystery. Either way, it can be maddening. After all, you don’t want to be on your way… you want to GET there.
When you find yourself in this situation, it’s easy to feel trapped, powerless and angry. But the fact is, you’ve always got choices, some of which are far better than others.
You can, of course, scream and curse and wave your arms in a rage, which will impact the situation not at all and get you exactly nowhere. Alternatively, you can sit passively in your seat, zoning out and letting your mind turn to mush, which may be better for your blood pressure, but also won’t do anything to improve the situation.
Or, instead, you can make that time work FOR you, by combining faith and action in a way that maintains or even accelerates your progress toward your goal.
Faith and Action: The Key to Staying in the Fast Lane
The first thing to keep in mind is that your destination, that place you are striving to get to, is there. It exists, it’s not going anywhere, and it’s waiting for your arrival.
The second thing to remember is that the slowdown you’re in is temporary. No traffic jam lasts forever. Eventually the debris will be cleared, or the closed lane will open up, or things will simply start moving again and you’ll be sailing along once more. Or, inch by inch and mile by mile, you’ll find yourself at your destination in spite of the slower-than-expected pace. Know that one way or another, you will get there.
Finally and most importantly, realize that you always, always have the ability to do something that will keep you moving forward in some way. Real action, the most important action, takes place in your mind, not outside of it. Which means you can always act, and you must.
Maybe there’s an actual alternate route you can take, one you wouldn’t have considered under normal circumstances. Maybe you can use the time to run through and revise your current plans, or brainstorm some new ideas. Or step away from your own issues for the moment, take in a great book, program or seminar, and let someone else’s wisdom, experience and insight expand your mental horizons and give you a few fresh insights of your own.
I’ve approached traffic jams, both literal and metaphorical, in exactly this way for many, many years now — as opportunities, rather than problems. I can’t tell you how many breakthroughs, answers and solutions have come to me, and how many new and unexpected avenues have opened up to me, during those “slow” and “stuck” periods.
Try this simple attitude adjustment the next time you find yourself in traffic of any kind, and the same thing will happen to you.
Faith plus action. It’s the secret to staying on track toward you goals, no matter what.
