I recently read that the fastest train service in the world has trains that reach a top speed of 268 mph. The slowest train in the world moves at an average speed of 24 mph.
I had to wonder how something can adhere to the track when moving so fast or how can you get anywhere going only 24 mph. These are good question to ponder and apply to our daily lives. Going too fast certainly holds the risk of being derailed and missing the scenery along the way. Moving too slow has its own set of problems. It would be unfortunate to miss a golden opportunity due to procrastination or laziness. Then there is the option otherwise known as “a train wreck”. Are you sitting on the side of life completely derailed with one wheel on the track and the other one in the dirt?
Isn’t there a sweet spot somewhere that makes the whole world fall in perfect order?
My weeks seem to fly by as fast as the scenery would in a view from the 268 mph train. At the same time my own productivity seems to move as slow as the 24 mph train. Then come the days I sense having gone nowhere as I sit derailed and frustrated! The truth is life is a series of events that ebb and flow. We have to take the seat of the engineer and stay on track as we move through each day. There must be a balance of enjoying the scenery, making it to our destination on time, and finally shutting the engine down at the end of the day.
This current world we live in can demand a lot from each of us if we let it. We can find ourselves wondering how far we can stretch. I am here to tell you that is not the design we were meant to conform. We were created to notice the seasons and enjoy the transitions of their changes. It is part of our wholeness to be present in our moments. Western culture has somehow morphed into setting unreasonable internal goals that only run us ragged while leaving very little of us to share with our family and friends at the end of the day. There will be times when we simply derail. No train can run forever. It’s important to learn how to rest during the derail in order to prevent a personal devastating crash.
I learned a lot during my recent “derail”. I learned there are limits to what our bodies and our minds can endure from outside circumstances. I learned we as individuals are responsible for pulling over for a pit stop before we reach that limit.
Seasons of life will change. Some of those changes will be slow and some will be abrupt but the main thing is we find that “sweet spot” that allows us to be all we can be. The end of the day should bring gratefulness for having “lived on purpose”.
I leave you with this encouragement. Make time to reflect on the last two weeks. Were you running as fast as you can? Did you enjoy the scenery or did you derail? Are you back on track and are you certain where your train is headed? Do you need to make adjustments for your current season? Have you learned your lessons from the last derail? These are questions only you can answer. Answer the questions and make the tweaks so the BEST YOU will come forward and by all means
Enjoy the Journey – VB
