TobyIt’s been a wildly busy month, and though sharing something here has been on my to-do list every week, it just keeps getting pushed to the bottom. So as not to fall into the habit of not posting, I thought I would share this short thought experiment.
About a month ago, I dreamt about a bus that wouldn’t stop. The more I yelled at the driver, the more he seemed to ignore me. I watched with growing panic as my destination disappeared behind me on the highway, until it became just a speck.
But finally, the bus did stop. I thought I was angry… the driver was outraged! “Who are you?” He shouted. “Who are you to tell me to stop?”
Hmmm.
And so here is my thought experiment about choices and power and surrender and control:
The bus is moving, and none of us gets to decide when we get off.
Angry? Too bad, the wheels are still turning.
Sad? You’re not the only one, but there are no breaks (…and no brakes) on this ride.
Confused? Join the club—no one’s been down this road before.
The bus is moving, and you don’t get to choose when it stops. The driver is deaf to your shouts of “slow down!” and “hurry up!”
But don’t think that means you don’t have any power.
You have all the power.
You choose whether to yell or laugh. You get to decide to make a scene when the familiar vanishes in the distance—or to sit down and soak in the wild frontiers.
You, and only you, determine how you react to the bumps, flat tires, detours and accidents.
So someone stomped through with dirty boots. That’s alright too. Or maybe, for a few minutes, it’s not alright at all. Be angry. Be sad. Be confused. But then remember that you don’t have to be. Their dirty boots don’t have to be your problem.
You still have power over you.
Even though the driver doesn’t listen, your heart will. So tell it sweet things, always.