I have yet to meet a person that says, “I love sitting in traffic!” On the other hand, I have heard countless accounts of nightmarish traffic jams. Ironically, I would argue that modern technology has actually vastly improved traffic patterns of yesteryear.
When Garrett Morgan patented the traffic light in 1923, the goal was to reduce traffic jams and injuries that, believe it or not, were even prevalent before the invention of the automobile. His system, unlike some prior attempts, first stopped traffic in all other directions in order to give drivers and pedestrians time to make their way through the intersection.
In life, knowing when to stop, slow down, or go is pivotal in knowing how to properly proceed on the path to fulfilling your purpose. Sometimes, knowing when to stop can be life saving or, at the very least, save you tons of time that you could otherwise never recover. Proceeding full steam ahead can’t be the norm. This energy needs to be exerted sporadically and at times when it will be most beneficial to the completion of an assignment or the advancement of a vision. When you are approaching an intersection in life, do you know when to slow down, prepare to stop, or continue ahead with purpose and intentionality?
Additionally, you need to know both where you are going and why you’re going there. Purpose is what you were designed and created to do. It is the original intent for your creation. Vision is the roadmap you’ve created or been given to fulfill your purpose. In essence, vision affirms purpose and purpose facilitates vision. Sometimes we experience a season where we have to yield to oncoming traffic in the form of submitting to someone else’s vision. If that is the case, be careful to wait for your turn to proceed and remain cognizant of the fact that yield does not equate to ‘turn around’, ‘take a detour’ or stop.
STOP
We’ve all done it. You see the stop sign up ahead and you do a quick scan to see if any other cars are coming to the intersection. If you don’t see any, you slow down as you reach the stop sign and then without stopping completely, you drive ahead. Unless there are children or a hidden police car that you can’t easily see, you may be able to get away with this risky maneuver. However, the purpose of the stop sign is to regulate traffic and prevent accidents. The stop sign serves a purpose. If it stops serving that purpose people can die. Sometimes, not operating in your purpose can cause you to die. This death will be slow and largely unnoticeable. If you were designed to create, to dance, to sing, or to paint – having a job that stifles those desires can cause you to die slowly. If this is your truth, it is time to stop and evaluate the path you are on and make plans to change your direction.
SLOW
Sometimes we are going in the right direction but we are simply going too fast. For example, you may have a vision to write a book and after you write it and publish it you put it up for sale. However, because you never had someone proofread it, the book is far from a bestseller. Additionally, this leaves you feeling discouraged and defeated. Your content may have been great. Your revelations may well have been life changing, but if no one reads the book then no one can be changed by its wisdom. Jim Rohn said, “Success is steady progress towards one’s personal goals.” Evaluate the pace of your journey, not on the basis of comparison to others but based on an honest assessment of the necessary steps and your desire not to skip any of them.
GO
Once you are confident that you have checked all angles and there is no oncoming traffic that will hinder your progress it is ok to ‘go.’ In order to proceed with confidence you need to perform a full safety check. Check your rearview mirrors to make sure that you didn’t miss a step that is necessary to completing your assignment. Check your side view mirrors to make sure you don’t have any blind spots that will hinder your ministry, business, non-profit, or organization from advancing. Stay focused on what’s in front of you and continue to remain excited as you see your goal inching closer and closer with each passing day. Living a purpose-filled life requires you to travel a road that was created just for you. Enjoy the journey!
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