Stay in Your Lane!

I have flat feet and have never been able to run comfortably. My favorite activity is walking. I have spent my life running vicariously through my friends, children and other track stars.  I look forward to the Olympic track meets where I can see the world's best runners in competition.

As I was watching the 400 meters semi-finals, it struck me how important it was to stay in your lane. The rules for track call for a runner to be disqualified for a race where they do not keep inside the lines of their designated lane.  They can be disqualified if their feet touch the line.

That made me think about my journey through life as a parent.  It is so important for me to stay in my lane to first, take care of myself and secondly, to allow my children and others around me to do what they need to do on their path.

Staying in your lane does not mean you have to have blinders on.  It is necessary to know what is happening around you so you can make adjustments when needed. At all times, we need to be focused on our assignment in life and not get sidetracked or tripped up by merging into areas that are not our responsibility.

If we are not careful, we can drift into our child's lane, taking over things that they should be doing.  We get frustrated because our stuff isn't getting done and they are frustrated because they are not allowed to grow and figure things out for themselves.

There are great rewards for finishing our course well.  When we stay in our lane, we provide an example to our children and others around us.  We are able to pace ourselves and take the time we need to really take care of ourselves and we can actually get things done.  

Take care to stay in your lane and finish your race well!

Enjoy!

DJ