On Life’s Journey With A GPS

“Would you like to add a GPS to your rental today?”

It’s a question I was asked at the Rental Car counter. I think a GPS is great, especially the ones with the voice prompt that tells you to turn in 500 meters.

That’s a safe way to keep your eyes on the road. But a GPS can be a bit distracting when you already know the shortest and most expedient route to get where you’re going and the electronic voice wants to send you another way.

“Turn left at Main Street,” the voice may say but you drive right by because you think you know a better route. That’s when you hear the voice prompt announcing, “Recalculating,” as it recalculates another route to get you where you want to go.

How many times do you drive right by the opportunities in your life because you think you already know the better way?

You gave the company your loyalty in the Boom years and now you’re being downsized? Recalculating.

You got a university degree in a discipline that offered too few opportunities in an “Off-Boom” market. Recalculating.

You believed that employers hire the “highest marks” so you gave up networking opportunities to concentrate on your work and now you find your lower-achieving co-workers are being promoted ahead of you because they developed the necessary social-interaction and communication skills. Recalculating.

You thought that the Boom years would last forever and spent like a drunken sailor only to find yourself behind and the money train is leaving the station. Recalculating.

You believed that finding a job and working for a large company was the safest way to job security and now you learn that while the 500+ employee companies are laying off their people, small businesses under 20 employees are growing. Recalculating.

You still won’t make the move to start your own business even though now is the perfect time to strike out on your own giving you more security and freedom. Recalculating.

You refuse to shed your comfort zone even though the world, the economy and your life is changing. You refuse to stretch yourself which leaves you further behind every day you don’t adapt to the changes – all because you’re afraid of failing. Recalculating.

You live your life trying desperately to fit in with the rich people only to finally realize that you gave up who you are in the hopes you'd end up rich. Recalculating.

You grumble about others getting ahead, even in a normal economy (compare 2009 to 2002’s economy and you’ll see we’re at “normal”) and you still think that you’re entitled to have everything just handed to you. Recalculating.

You refuse to accept that others may know better than you how to get where you want to go but you don’t ask their opinions because you’re afraid you’ll look weak. Recalculating.

You condemn and criticize others who have the courage to chase their dreams in the hopes of somehow elevating yourself. Recalculating.

You know everything. Recalculating.

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: There’s always another way to get where you want to go. Pay attention when others offer simple directions and stop making life so hard on yourself. Every road map has more than just one street.