Traffic Signals for Life
By Leah Light, © 2003
There are those days when a person is on top of the world. Things come easy. You hit the green lights, people smile, doors open. Everything flows. Then there are those opposite days when nothing seems to go right. People are rude. You're blocked at every turn. You may find yourself wishing you'd just stayed in bed. It can be more than just a day. A run of so-called good or bad luck can last a week, a month or even year.
I've learned to pay attention to both kinds of experiences. There's usually a message behind them. I look at this as a system of red lights and green lights. When we get green lights, we're getting the go-ahead. It's time to proceed and enjoy the ride. Red lights, on the other hand, indicate a warning of some kind. Unwisely, many of us choose to ignore this and push forward, often with disastrous results. In our fast-paced world this is unfortunately common practice in health matters. Pop another aspirin, ignore the body's signals, keep on trucking. And then we wonder why the body begins to break down.
At the very least, when hitting red lights it is time to ask yourself some questions: Is this not the right thing or the right time for me to be doing it? Is there a part of me holding back? Is there an easier way to accomplish the same thing? The problem may voice a limiting belief, i.e., life has to be hard, money is always tight, or the cup is half empty. Or it may indicate a question of self-esteem: Do I really deserve to have what I want?
Sometimes a series of red lights simply reflects being out of sync with the world or one's self. Proper rest, recreation, nutrition, quiet time, or other self-care may be all that's needed. Other times, red lights (or perhaps yellow ones) can indicate that a very valid fear needs to be addressed. The voice of intuition speaks to us in this way, and it is wise to pay attention. We just might be able to avoid a personal train wreck on the highway of life.
There are those days when a person is on top of the world. Things come easy. You hit the green lights, people smile, doors open. Everything flows. Then there are those opposite days when nothing seems to go right. People are rude. You're blocked at every turn. You may find yourself wishing you'd just stayed in bed. It can be more than just a day. A run of so-called good or bad luck can last a week, a month or even year.
I've learned to pay attention to both kinds of experiences. There's usually a message behind them. I look at this as a system of red lights and green lights. When we get green lights, we're getting the go-ahead. It's time to proceed and enjoy the ride. Red lights, on the other hand, indicate a warning of some kind. Unwisely, many of us choose to ignore this and push forward, often with disastrous results. In our fast-paced world this is unfortunately common practice in health matters. Pop another aspirin, ignore the body's signals, keep on trucking. And then we wonder why the body begins to break down.
At the very least, when hitting red lights it is time to ask yourself some questions: Is this not the right thing or the right time for me to be doing it? Is there a part of me holding back? Is there an easier way to accomplish the same thing? The problem may voice a limiting belief, i.e., life has to be hard, money is always tight, or the cup is half empty. Or it may indicate a question of self-esteem: Do I really deserve to have what I want?
Sometimes a series of red lights simply reflects being out of sync with the world or one's self. Proper rest, recreation, nutrition, quiet time, or other self-care may be all that's needed. Other times, red lights (or perhaps yellow ones) can indicate that a very valid fear needs to be addressed. The voice of intuition speaks to us in this way, and it is wise to pay attention. We just might be able to avoid a personal train wreck on the highway of life.