There are 2 ticket types on offer in the journey of life… the ticket for the smooth ride, the “monorail” journey with no bumps or setbacks, but also no genuine highs or disappointing lows OR there is the “roller coaster journey” which entails ongoing self-challenge, plenty of highs and plenty of setbacks.
Which ticket type would you take?
If you’re like me, if you want to live a life that embraces the richness of the human experience, it’s the roller coaster option!
Like many others, life so far has presented itself to me with plenty of setbacks, serious injuries, selection disappointments, unrealised goals and ambitions etc., but for me the most important of all these is having faith in the incredible internal resilience and capacity to bounce back from these experiences.
When you get knocked down (and it’s a fact of life that you will!), make the choice to get up, dust yourself off and keep going.
If I continue to use the monorail and roller coaster analogy then in simple terms the 2 can be differentiated as the following:
The monorail is all about predictability, it’s about safety but at the same time a pretty mundane trip! People who choose this course are more likely than not those who are afraid of stepping outside of a comfort zone to take a risk.
The rollercoaster is about vitality, it’s about challenging yourself and in the process risking setbacks. Why do we want to risk setback? Because it is this space that captures the true kaleidoscope of human emotions. The exhilarating highs and at times the painful lows where you wonder if it’s all worthwhile.
Notwithstanding the fact that our greatest lessons often come from the insights that accompany our setbacks and disappointments.
There is no right or wrong path or approach, it most certainly a choice and often people will start off on one journey and re direct themselves once or even several times throughout their life. It is about finding the path, the approach and the experience that feeds you with the richest sense of fulfilment.
I know plenty of people who have endured a few setbacks and opt out of the rollercoaster for the seemingly “easier” option of the monorail only to find the journey feels empty and unrewarding. I also know others who were fed up with the monorail journey and they made a conscious and brave decision to step outside their comfort zone to challenge themselves.
My observations over many years are that human beings are complex and energetic creatures who can easily default to a simple life without challenges. While this may be appear to be the better option, be cautious that you are not feeding your innate need for growth and risk slipping into a mundane space that lacks fulfilment.
The quality and direction of our lives is all about the choices we make.
The great thing about today is that it is the present, or rather a present - Yes, it’s a gift that we wake up to everyday and in so doing we have a daily choice which direction we wish to take on our forward journey.
Start today and get into the habit of making daily choices that will add vitality and fulfilment to your life!
Wayne
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