Speed-bumps

There are rules when you pilot a vehicle. Stop signs, traffic lights, yield protocols, how to navigate a round-a-bout, and the designated speed limit, amongst others. In most states, you cannot drive alone until you turn 16 years old and have passed a driver’s test. Before that, you do not have the freedom or legal ability to drive where you please. After securing your license, you must still obey street laws. You are not above the law. The safety of yourself and others matters more than your ability to do anything you please on the road. Speed bumps, speed limits, and the police patrolling the roads are specifically put into place to ensure you are not reckless. With all of these checks in place, people still slip up. People driving, just like in life, encounter speed bumps. They get pulled over for speeding just like how people make mistakes and fail. These are not permanent instances of failing, they are normally minor bumps in the road that set you back briefly but let you continue on.

Getting pulled over for speeding is a heart-sinking feeling. It is an immediate realization that you were caught doing the wrong thing. While this feeling is harsh, it is normally short-lived. It is normally a short and brief reminder that you have made a mistake and that you must accept the consequences. Normally, this is in the form of a speeding ticket. You pay the fine, take a course, and move on.

A speeding ticket and getting caught can be extrapolated to become a larger life metaphor relating to mistakes. Mistakes and failures are parts of life that happen. They do not happen every day nor are they necessarily apparent after every mistake you make. You can make many mistakes in private before it becomes a public issue. But, when they do become public, your reaction dictates how the rest of your day, week, and year will go. If you choose to let a mistake ruin your outlook on life, you will be scared to correct yourself and carry on. If you let a mistake become a dark cloud raining on your life, you will let negative emotions overpower you. On the opposite spectrum, if you view a mistake or failure as honest feedback, you can effectively pick up the pieces and move on. You recognize and take accountability for what has happened, but you emphasize to yourself that you will move on and be better in the future.

Mistakes and failures do not define who you are as a person. How you react and respond does. Just like a speeding ticket, these shortcomings are mere speed bumps in the game of life. You can either stay pulled over on the side of the road, or you can pull back out on the road and get moving again.