Wendywoman Travels the Toll Road of Life…

Do Not Pass Go.  Do Not Collect $200.  Monopoly may have only been a game, but that same phrase played over and over in my head laced with frustration.  Nothing was going my way!  Everywhere I turned, there seemed to be some sort of invisible barrier (ok, sometimes they were visible) preventing me from getting where I wanted to go.  I might as well have pulled the Go To Jail card, because I felt imprisoned — unable to move forward!

Meanwhile at Fubar …

In anticipation of the upcoming holiday weekend, the Crabby Crappies left work early to head to their respective destinations.  Unfortunately, they all got stuck in the NO NO NO line because nobody wanted to do what was necessary to make the tollgate go up. Wendywoman blew by and waived her “E-Z Pass” reminding them that somehow, someway, you have to pay your way.

What can you do?

How often do we find ourselves en route to our goals, dreams and desires when poof, something unexpected gets in the way of our advancement?   Often, when that gate comes down prohibiting us from continuing on our journey, we get frustrated and sit idle, complaining that every time we move 2 steps forward, we take 1 step back.   I think most of us, when faced with a delay, progress through 3 stages in order to advance on the journey called Your Life.  The question you have to ask yourself is, “How long do I linger before I move on?”

1. We do nothing and feel sorry for ourselves.   We may be clipping right along, but when the unexpected tollgate gets in the way of our forward momentum, we wait.  I’m not sure what we wait for, but in the interim, we complain.  We moan.  We solicit our friends to whine with us.  We’re stuck with nowhere to go because we assume no responsibility for doing what is necessary to make the tollgate go up, so we can continue.  Stay here too long and you’ll be fubar’d.
2. We know we should do something, but aren’t sure what to do.  It may take some time for us to figure it out, but we are smart enough ask for input or assistance from others to help us do what it takes to get the tollgate open so we can advance to the next phase of our journey.
3. We recognize that the world operates based on reciprocity and welcome the unexpected delay because we see it as an opportunity.  We understand the need to do something actionable in order for something to happen in our lives.  It may sound cliché, but you have to give in order to receive.  That is a universal law that has stood the test of time.

The bigger the goal you are chasing, the more tollgates you can expect.  Every time you figure out how to advance through a challenge by making changes to your behavior, learning something new, or just by paying your dues, you are getting yourself ready for the next phase of your journey.  It has been my experience that the older I get, the more tollgates I have, which really helps expedite my personal growth.  It used to be that I fought the tollgates and hung out in that whiny stage way too long.  Now I blow through all the stages, appreciating the growth associated with all experiences.  In the final analysis, my attitude allows me to have that E-Z Pass so I can Pass Go and Collect $200.

A challenge to my blog readers…

No matter where you are or what you are doing, you are going to run into some sort of delay on your journey.  When that happens, ask yourself which stage you are in.  It is okay to spend a bit of time grieving over any delay that may come your way, but don’t stay there and please don’t recruit friends to join you in your misery.  Quickly move into stage 2 and find people that can help you figure out what you need to do to open the tollgate so you can move forward.  Every time you advance, take time to celebrate.  There is always another tollgate up ahead that you will have to climb through or over, so you might as well take the time to enjoy even the smallest of victories. Send me an e-mail at wendywoman@wendywoman.com or catch me on Facebook (Wendywoman) to let me know how you are doing.

Will you pass GO today?