Life is always sending us messages, feedback if you will, on how our actions are impacting the world we live in. Honestly, most of us are unaware. We struggle with stress and anxiety, and are so caught up in our own heads that we fail to see clearly the path of least resistance.
When I was pregnant with my youngest son, we were very deep in the operations chaos stage of our business. We had just opened our cafe the year before, and were really struggling with how to balance 3 young kids at home with a growing little business. We were blessed to have customers, but at this stage in our growth, th success of the company was totally dependent on the presence of my husband and myself. The people we had working for us were the supporting cast, but we were playing the lead.
The stress was compounded by the fact that I was expecting our 5th child as well. This was not an easy pregnancy for me. I was struggling with my body image and the pressure of not only nurturing our new business, but continuing to make special order wedding cakes, and give time and love to my kids and husband.
Etched in my memory is one Sunday morning that I got a harsh reminder to slow down. I had unintentionally slept in, exhausted. The phone rang and it was James, my husband. “You need to get down here right now, I am slammed and trying to cook and wait on people at the same time” I heard. I leapt out of bed, not bothering to take a shower, threw on my clothes and raced out to my car. The sun was shining at the horizon, bright and blinding. I jumped into my little red Jeep Cherokee and sped off.
As I turned left on the street that would lead me to the restaurant, I was headed east, right into the sun. I leaned over to the far side of the passenger foot area to grab my sunglasses, in the process causing more acceleration. In my rush to leave, I had forgotten to put on my seatbelt. What happened next seemed to be in slow motion as I reflect back. The combination of acceleration, my hand turning the steering wheel slightly to the right as I leaned over to get the glasses, and BOOM. I plowed myself into the back of a flat-bed pickup truck. My chin hit the steering wheel and I was stunned and terrified, but I was alive.
What ensued next is a blur, ambulance, icu, tests, thank God my baby is ok…but the message I received was clear as day. Nothing is as important as being aware of the world you live in. Keep your head present and clear. Slow Down.