Life is not a race to be won but a journey to be savoured. We forget that the path has no value when we arrive if we have not enjoyed or savoured it along the way. It is the journey that counts. When we enjoy the ride and we are relaxed, we see the signs around us and are open to insightful ideas from within. In the frenzy of life, we can miss these signs and insights.
When my children were younger, I used to drop them off at school every morning. It was a big job getting them both on board and on time for school. It was a struggle and stressful. Driving fast in the rush hour, checking mirrors and changing lanes was not the best way to start the morning for the kids or me. It was humbling, especially for someone who teaches others to be calm and collected under pressure.
I decided I would do my best to get the kids in the car, and once we were in it, I would not look at my watch. Instead we would start our journey by saying our morning prayers together, followed by a game I played with my son, who is the younger of my two children. The game included teaching him quotes from different philosophers and authors ranging from Shakespeare to Rumi. The number of quotes we would learn or discuss would coincide with the date of the month.
We enjoyed the ride, had a great start to the morning, and even if we were late the odd time, my son now knows at least 50 quotes by heart and comes up with his own quotes at will. While praying and playing en route to school, I had no time to change lanes or compete with fellow drivers. In fact, I was gracious and let others overtake me. Furthermore, we were hardly ever late for school.