What are the yellow lights in your life?
I was riding as passenger with one of my sisters. We were in town, and she was weaving in and out of the afternoon traffic.
Up ahead the traffic light went from green to yellow. She gunned the engine and I let out a yelp.
To me a yellow light meant slow down and prepare to stop.
To her a yellow light meant speed up and make-it-through-the-intersection before you have to stop.
We both recognized yellow lights as a warning. But this warning triggered very different responses from each of us!
Yellow lights can also be a metaphor for our lives.
Interestingly, when we approach an intersection while driving our car and the light is green, we continue to move through the intersection. And when the light is red, we really don’t give it much thought either, but just apply the brakes and stop.
But when we approach the intersection and the light turns yellow we are forced to make a decision. Do we continue on or come to a stop? We don’t have a lot of time to decide so we react.
And if we are late for work we will probably make a different decision than we would if we had witnessed an accident just the day before. And sometimes we hesitate or take action half-heartedly, with varying results.
We all have yellow lights in our lives. They come in the form of major decisions, major crises, life transitions, and unforeseen life obstacles. There are intersections in life that we’re not sure whether we should stop at, push through, or judge in the moment.
Yellow lights are how life calls our attention. And the choices we make in those moments can significantly change the course of our lives.
So do you have a “yellow light” policy? Have you predetermined that you’re going to:
- Always, stop
- Play it by eye
- Always, push through
Maybe it’s time to stomp on the accelerator. 
To go for it with confidence and verve.
Or maybe it’s time to take your foot off the accelerator. To slow down and be still.
Where have the yellow lights flashed in your life?
And did you put your foot on or off the gas pedal?
10 Comments
Take your foot off the accelerator. Slow down your life to look and enjoy each day. If you are in a large crowd, do you see and hear the crowd – or – do you see all the individual stories out there at the same place you find yourself ? Do you just see a crowd, or do you see the individual faces ? When you look around do you just see the large scene, or do you see the activity ( wind blowing, animals movement, color of flowers, the sound of moving water, busy insects). There is a lot to enjoy each day if you just slow yourself down to see/hear/feel it. Take your foot off the accelerator.
Earl, I really like your take on the group vs the individual possibilities in what we are surrounded by. Slowing down is a great gift to give ourselves.
Great post Pat!
I am in a bit of quandary right now.
Your yellow-light analogy helps put things in perspective.
Have a great day!
Ljs
Ljs, Thanks for commenting! Perspective is what we all need even though it sometimes comes after the fact!
Since I do not have the power to know exactly when the light will turn yellow, it has to be a decision in the moment as to whether I will speed up or slow down and stop. It’s not always easy but it does help me to remember to live in the moment because actually that is all we have. Of course because I am 74 yo, other drivers probably think I am a pokey butt. But that’s okay, that’s how I got to 74.
While driving out to the raging metropolis of Issaquah, lights were changing and I was paying attention.
How to decide? Well, I figured it out! It’s all about the others that are in the car with me. Will the animals be safer if I push on through, or will they be better off with my stopping quickly? Too fast a stop throws them around in their respective crates and can cause injury. Remember when your parent used to throw out an arm to stop a child from flying forward in a fast stop? It’s like that.
And then to look at this as analogy…. Who else is with me in my ‘life car’? How will this help or harm them? And how much does that matter in my choice? Clearly this is not necessarily the best way to deal with my own life choices….but I know I have done it – sometimes to my own harm, sometimes to my benefit.
Bottom line is, I suppose, that individual decisions are made more or less on the fly, but with a pre-approved plan in place ahead of time as a guide. Odd how you get me thinking, Pat, in ways I don’t usually think. Thanks for that!
Fay, thanks for bringing your perspective to bear. I realize I too have made decisions based on the others involved! I hadn’t thought about it, so take some credit for making me think in ways I don’t usually think!
Fay, you are so right that Mom makes us think in ways we normally wouldn’t. I think that is the primary reason for her blog as well as its primary benefit. Mom has always been able to see things differently and communicate that different perspective to others. It is one of her strong gifts. She has both a gift for vision as well as a gift for communication.
Laurie, thank you for sharing! As I’ve grown older, I’ve decided that I am merely unique, not necessarily weird!
Pat, this one is thought provoking, especially after reading the comments. I tend to slow down and stop for a yellow light, although sometimes I forget my wiser choice and abandon my better sense when I’m in a hurry. That’s when the trouble comes (sooner or later) as we grow complacent. We may forget that some people like to jump the red light just before it turns green. Uh oh!