Back in the driver's seat

"I need to get back into the driver's seat." That's the thought that came to me this morning as I stumbled out of bed with yet another ache of unknown origin. Like many of you I am guilty of allowing my schedule, my business and the hectic pace of life to dictate everything else. I make excuses like, "I don't have time to eat right" and "When could I possibly go the gym?" As a result of my excuses, I now have aches and pains in places that I didn't now I had. I say things like, "I have a bad foot" and "I have this thing with my shoulder". Yes, I have become that guy. Here's the deal, this didn't happen overnight. No one wakes up and says, "Hey, today's the day that I start to live an unhealthy lifestyle." Like with a lot of negative habits, it happens slowly, inch by inch, little by little we start to get lazy, eat more than we should and sleep a little later each day. One day we realize that we're no longer driving, we've slid over to the passenger seat and something else entirely is driving. 

As a kid I remember seeing my parents behind the wheel and having this insatiable desire to reach over and grab the wheel in an effort to have my turn at driving. It looked like fun and I wanted a turn. Well as we all now know, reaching over to grab a steering wheel can result in some hazardous results...like landing in a ditch. While snatching the wheel back in an actual car is a bad idea it's perfect for the wheel of life. Our schedules will never lighten up, responsibilities will never lessen, and you will never get less tired. Now is the time to snatch the wheel back. Of course you may run the risk of careening off the road, but in reality you're headed there anyway by keeping things the way they are. Get back in driver's seat!

---