Why Did the Squirrel Not Cross the Road?
Have you ever seen a squirrel run out into the road in-front of you... he gets more than halfway across and then sees you coming, panics, and runs back in-front of you. And you think "Stupid little creature!"
Don't be so quick to judge... I think we do this sometimes in our own lives.
"Huh?" you ask? ... This happened on my way into work this morning... but after my initial "Stupid little creature, keep going!" scream while braking quickly to avoid him, I asked myself "Why would he do that?!" and think I realized something...
Perhaps he was turning back to what he "knew" rather than take the chance on the "unknown"...
I mean, halfway across and suddenly this car comes flying at him. Panic! OMG, what do I do?! Do I turn back and go the way I just came because I know I can make it and I know how far it is and I know it's safe back over there? OR, do I keep moving forward without truly knowing how much further there is to go and not knowing if the other side of the road is as safe or as good a destination as I hope it is?
Life is like that sometimes.
How often have I been working toward a goal, only to have some conflict come along or hit a stumbling point at which I panic and turn back. Abandoning my quest to return to what "I know" rather than what "I want".
I'm not saying the other side of the road is always a better destination... but wouldn't it be great to have a "driver's view" of our lives and see if we're more than halfway to our goals or not? To have the omnipotent knowledge that we're almost there if we just keep going?
Sometimes what we think is the easier path, truly isn't.
Alas, the squirrel doesn't understand us when we yell, "Keep going, stupid creature!" Perhaps there is a voice out there yelling at us too, but we just can't understand... or, aren't we listening?
Don't be so quick to judge... I think we do this sometimes in our own lives.
"Huh?" you ask? ... This happened on my way into work this morning... but after my initial "Stupid little creature, keep going!" scream while braking quickly to avoid him, I asked myself "Why would he do that?!" and think I realized something...
Perhaps he was turning back to what he "knew" rather than take the chance on the "unknown"...
I mean, halfway across and suddenly this car comes flying at him. Panic! OMG, what do I do?! Do I turn back and go the way I just came because I know I can make it and I know how far it is and I know it's safe back over there? OR, do I keep moving forward without truly knowing how much further there is to go and not knowing if the other side of the road is as safe or as good a destination as I hope it is?
Life is like that sometimes.
How often have I been working toward a goal, only to have some conflict come along or hit a stumbling point at which I panic and turn back. Abandoning my quest to return to what "I know" rather than what "I want".
I'm not saying the other side of the road is always a better destination... but wouldn't it be great to have a "driver's view" of our lives and see if we're more than halfway to our goals or not? To have the omnipotent knowledge that we're almost there if we just keep going?
Sometimes what we think is the easier path, truly isn't.
Alas, the squirrel doesn't understand us when we yell, "Keep going, stupid creature!" Perhaps there is a voice out there yelling at us too, but we just can't understand... or, aren't we listening?