Life happens fast — at least, that has been my experience of life for 38 years. I marvel at the monks who can be so present moment that every task gets their full and undivided attention; I also find myself, normally a highly-functioning multi-tasker, feeling rather ADD in their presence. My goal recently has been to really pay attention, focus and slow down in my life. The moral of this story could be, “be careful what you wish for,” but instead I think it’s merely, “help comes when goals are set.”
Last week I was driving home from the other side of town for the second time, where my daughter had been competing in a horse show. I was tired and the kids were cranky! It’s a well known, but not well advertised, fact that I have a bit of a lead foot — especially if I’m not paying attention. I cannot help it, let’s recall that “fast” has been a part of my definition of life until recent times.
I was driving the I-5 and playing the alphabet game to keep the kids from bickering (you know, “Hi, my name is Alice, I come from Alabama and I like applesauce. . . ). It was my turn and I was desperately trying to think of a name that starts with “U” so that I could come from Uganda and like to eat ugly fruit. I was in the far left lane and suddenly my awareness shifted to the marked police car sitting on the right shoulder and the fact that I was moving much faster than anyone else on the freeway.
It was one of those stomach sinking moments as I tried to inconspicuously drop from the 80 mph I was driving to the more acceptable 65 mph that was posted (I think). When I was about 15-feet from the police car’s bumper and still sailing at a cool 75 mph, the police car started to roll forward merging into traffic. If I had had an invisibility cloak at that point I surely would have used it. The police car increased speed and began quickly crossing lanes of traffic in my direction; there was no escape route, no residential streets to get lost in and closing my eyes didn’t seem like a good idea either.
I was finally down to 65 mph but exclaimed, “shoot, I’m going to get a ticket.” Both of my children spun around and began staring at the police car as I pleaded with them, “STOP LOOKING!” Just as I anticipated the flashing lights, sirens and humiliation of being pulled-over with my eleven and nine year olds in the car, the police officer backed-off. He let me know he saw me. He reminded me that he was there. He brought my attention back to the task at hand, driving safely.
I drove the last 15-miles home in the center lane mindful of the speed limit and my movement in relationship to it. I also couldn’t help but marvel at the gentle reminder I had just received and how similar it is to the way the Universe intercedes when helping to keep us on track. Staying in our flow means being attentive to where we are, what we are doing, how we are doing it and who we are doing it with.
In a state of mindfulness, all we need are gentle nudges when we are heading out of the flow of harmony and happiness. Unfortunately, most of us are so busy multi-tasking and worrying about what needs to be done that we miss or ignore the gentle signals and require the flashing lights, sirens and humility to get back on track. Both ways work, the gentle reminders just cause less suffering. Oh, “U my name is Ulysses.”
Teri Johnson is a Spiritual Life Coach and Intuitive with a private practice in Thousand Oaks, CA. She teaches mediation classes and works with clients as they learn to trust their own intuition and inner guidance. Visit her blog, Finding Spirituality in the Suburbs at FlowinHarmony.com.
