System Re-Routing

Most of us drivers have used sat-nav in our cars, whether it be via a built-in system or via the maps app on our phones.  Starting point location to destination joined together by a blue line.  That's the route, that's the path we're taking.  Part way, you’re driving along, and the automated voice kicks in with its clipped diction - "system re-routing" and a detour commences taking you a different way to avoid traffic or roadworks.  Sometimes, you wonder where on earth is it taking me, I have no idea where I am, where does this road even lead to……..?

When it comes to our own lives, how many times have we thought our life sat-navs were set, and we were on our way to somewhere definitive - a marriage, a career path, a house move and then something happens and we’re moving in a different direction?  System re-routing.

In my younger years, when I would experience a system re-routing moment, I would panic.  After the initial self-pity party of ‘why me?’ was over, I would worry about what things meant, catastrophise even, over-think the unpredictability of sailing on stormy waters and where it would land me.  This would be lead to anxiety, lack of sleep, and with perhaps a smattering of dramatics thrown in.

Fast-forward to present day and my mind set has changed.  No pity party, no catastrophising, no over-thinking, nothing.  Okay, so it’s unsettling, but I take a deep breath, and I think – “Fine – let’s do this”.   I’ve system re-routed so many times now that I have the confidence to know things will work out - eventually.  Just a bit of patience and faith needed. 

I’ve worked out, what’s meant for you won’t pass you by, whether you like it or not.  So whilst you can’t sit back and wait for life to knock on your door, you do have to make things happen, but equally sometimes you have to go with the flow and trust how things will pan out.  That relationship that ended, the job interview that came to nothing, the redundancy that came out of the blue, the shoes you wanted but they didn’t have your size in the shop – it wasn’t meant for you. 

You can (and must) grieve for these losses, as much as will make your heart feel better, but there is a reason that it happened.  Perhaps to create the chance to meet someone better suited, maybe the job wouldn’t have made you happy, possibly the redundancy situation has made you to re-assess your life which you wouldn’t have had the chance to do so otherwise and well, who knows, maybe the shop round the corner has a better pair of shoes waiting for you and cheaper too!

Yes, it maybe is inconvenient, perhaps not what you want, timing is off, but actually, the timing is spot on.  It has to be now to allow the future to pan out as it is meant to.

Now when life metaphorically tells me ‘system re-routing’, I confidently take its hand, trust the plan, and let myself be led to my new destination, after all, it is where I am ultimately meant to be.