Lessons learned

My week in pics… Beautiful Banff, boarding,  fun times with the fam and on Auntie Duty in Calgary, celebrating (however cheesy!) my exciting new phone… 1^st in 4 years! Yoga with thought leader Bobby Umar, minglers at the Lodge, celebrating Matthew Zarrillo from Zarr Tech’s Entrepreneur of the Year nomination!

A lesson learned from being hit by a car

On Tuesday evening, I was hit by a car. (Now no panicking here! It wasn’t a massive hit by any means! Barely even a bruise…. I’m pretty lucky) And after the initial shock, I realized there was an important lesson to be learned. Allow me to indulge.

I was on foot, crossing University Avenue, a pretty major intersection downtown Toronto. It has two sides – northbound and southbound – like a mini highway in the city. It was raining, and although that little hand sign turned yellow just as I was beginning to walk across the second side, I was going for it. Even if I was cutting it close, pedestrians, especially in the rain, have the right of way, right!? Well apparently wrong!

Now there were other pedestrians still crossing, so when I was a meter from safety (ie the curb) and the light turned red, I just figured I’d run for it. Well, all of a sudden I notice the first car behind the line starts revving their engine. And moreover, it then starts moving… and right for me! I was moving pretty fast myself, and there was a split second of ‘Is this really happening right now?!? Am I about to get hit? Does she seriously not see me?!? What do I do?!? Too late… time to brace!’

And then BOOM! The car hit my right thigh, and my hands landed on her hood on impact. There was a moment when I looked at the driver, she looked back at me, and I couldn’t tell you who was in more shock!

I froze. Although not for long… as one second later I simply scooted in front of her car and kept on my merry way (after all, I had a TEPP event – Toronto Entrepreneurs of Passion & Purpose to get to!) albeit a tad shaken up to say the least!

I’ve never been hit by a car while on foot. I wasn’t sure who was responsible. Perhaps I was a careless pedestrian, however there is no way if she was looking and paying attention at the light, that she wouldn’t have seen me.

Perhaps she was texting. Perhaps she was daydreaming. Perhaps she was in a massive rush to see a loved one at the hospital.

Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. I was fine… and no damage done.

So I then did the first thing I always do when something happens to me… I called my Dad! He is my emergency contact after all :-). And although very concerned initially, once he realized it wasn’t anything major, and I was okay, he said ‘Carol, let this be a lesson. Slow down! You don’t always need to be rushing everywhere!’

My default reaction normally would have been a defensive one. Not in this case. Maybe it was the fact my heart was still racing, maybe it was because I was feeling lucky to be alive. But this time his wise words sunk in.

It’s true I move fast. I’m often running here, there and everywhere… ‘You’re running around like a crazy chicken!’ a friend used to tell me. It’s not on purpose. I genuinely like keeping a solid pace, and don’t want to miss a beat! And while perhaps commendable to have a good sense of urgency, there is a limit.

Especially as you and I are folks who want to do a lot, experience a lot, and achieve a lot, it’s not uncommon to find ourselves in a rush! And, when we are, perhaps we miss some of the magic happening in the moment right here, right now.

Today’s meditation was all about the importance of really being in the present moment. While this idea is thrown around all over the place, and may appear trite, it’s also quite true.

Life only happens right here in this moment. And if you can’t be present to experience it, because you’re too busy rushing to the next moment, you’re going to miss out! (Or, you might just get hit by something!)

There will always be people ahead of you, and there will always be people behind you. Trust you will have enough time to experience all you want to experience. Trust all will unfold in due time. Trust you are exactly where you need to be right now.

 

It’s okay to slow down. Life is not a rush. And there’s a lot to be said for being present in the present. Click to tweet it out!

Regardless of whether slowing down prevents YOU from getting hit one day, it’s a lesson worth learning.

Have a FAB week… and Happy Easter!

 

 

How are YOU going to slow down this week? Enjoy exactly where you are? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below.