Freelance Columnist
opinion
It’s unfortunate, but life is seldom, if ever, a smooth road. I discovered that literally this winter while on a holiday trip in Cuba.
I rented a jeep for the day and ventured out onto the roads and highways. I soon discovered that potholes and bumps are a way of life in Cuba.
Other than recently made roads, it is hard to go more than a kilometre without slowing down the vehicle and rolling carefully through holes. Thankfully, the jeep had a soft fabric top which prevented my passengers in the back seat from getting a severe headache.
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I quickly discovered the key to driving on these roads: Look well ahead of where you are. You’ll recognize the major potholes immediately, but the subtle bumps caused by different levels of roadway can catch you unawares so don’t be impatient. The faster you go, the bigger the bump. Slower driving gives you a better chance of navigating the obstacle course.
After a while you tend to get worn down by such defensive driving. Be prepared to stop and review the situation if you hit a particularly bad stretch of road.
Managing your life successfully is somewhat like driving on those Cuban roads. You first have to realize and accept that you are in the driver’s seat. All you control is the vehicle. Perhaps you can’t control the condition of the roads, but you are in charge of how you tackle them.
Looking ahead is crucial for successful living. By planning ahead you have a sense of where you hope to get, even if there are no road signs. Slowing down is important. It gives you more time to plan your movement.
Consider others’ view
Other people are often the greatest and most frustrating potholes we encounter in life. Crashing ahead or charging at them seldom helps you. It only makes them defensive and more angry. Taking time to assess a situation and understand it from the other person’s point of view, then slowly but deliberately approaching the problem constructively will get you through life smoother and easier.
Successful living involves discovering and respecting two important facts. There are some things in life that we are totally in charge of, mainly ourselves. There are many more things in life we have no or little control over, such as the weather and most other people.
If you can sort out which things in life fall into which category and then choose to focus your energies on what you are really in charge of, the potholes of life won’t bounce you around as much.
