Have you ever taken a wrong turn and found yourself on some back road that looks like it leads to nowhere, deep in the boonies, where there are more cattle than humans? Some dusty, winding road with little-to-no signage?

What was your first thought?

• “Crap, I’m lost. Now what?”

• “Where can I turn around?”

• “I wish I’d learned to tell directions.”

• “I wonder where this leads?”

• “It’s heading in the general direction I’m going. I’ll follow it awhile.”

• “I might have found a short cut!”

• “I can’t wait to tell ______ about this!”

Of course your first reaction has a lot to do with how important it is to be somewhere at a certain time, or how full your tank is, but if your schedule allows for some exploration, then what do your instincts usually tell you?

Does fear fill you with a dark sense of foreboding?

What scares you the most about this scenario?

• Getting hopelessly lost where nobody knows to look for you?

• Running out of cell service? Out of gas?

• Finding zombies and/or aliens at the end of the road?

or

Does curiosity fill you with anticipation?

What excites you the most?

• Seeing some new scenery?

• Discovering a great picnic spot?

• Finding your dream home?

If you’re the adventurous type or you’ve grown up, lived, or spent time off the beaten path, you’re probably quite confident on back roads and country trails. You may be more likely to go off the main grid intentionally, rambling over cattle guards, around washouts & across bridges, up steep hills, and through valleys. A new vista around every bend beckons you to keep exploring, moving onward, finding livestock or wildlife, who lift their heads, pausing in their grazing, to watch you pass by. But how often do you head out on these excursions or embrace them when they are presented unexpectedly? Or does a detour turn the fun into fear?

How does our reaction to an unforeseen detour on a country road reflect our reaction to the twists and turns in life?

Does fear paralyze us?

Or

Does adventure tempt us?

Are we intrigued?

Or

Are we panicked?

Do we worry what others will think if we decide to follow a detour and see where it takes us?

Are we concerned about the unknown path that leads to our goals? The bumps along the way? Is it worth it or do we just want to stay on the safely mapped route and not have to recalculate?

Pause a moment the next time you’re faced with a change of plans. Take a breath. Will a negative reaction make a difference in the facts? Or will the plans change, regardless, and the tone be set by how you react?

Something I read once has really stuck with me and is a good example of the point I’m attempting to make. A man & wife returned home from vacation and were too tired to unpack their car. They woke up the next morning to discover the car had been broken into and their possessions stolen. The husband went into an angry tirade. What his wife said is profound and yet, so simple. “We can choose to be angry or not, the fact remains the same, our car was broken into.” That has stuck with me.

We have a choice and it impacts everything.

It impacts our mood, our actions, our mindset, even our physical reaction, not to mention how our reaction impacts others around us.

Detours and challenges create a golden opportunity to set an example for our family, our friends, our co-workers. To set a tone that will go a lot further towards peace, calm and finding a solution, than losing our cool. It most definitely is NOT easy, but it isn’t impossible. And modelling it takes some serious self-control. Just having that story in my mind has made a huge difference for me. And I hope it helps you too. There will be struggles and challenges, detours, we inevitably will face. How we face them shows strength, resilience and maturity. Cut yourself some slack when you fall apart. Get up and put one foot in front of the other. It’ll be easier next time. You will be more aware of how you reacted. We are all in this life together. Can we please be kinder and more patient with each other when we see someone struggling? And when we experience a calm, cool, collected reaction from someone, especially if we were expecting their disappointment or anger, let’s tell them how much we appreciate and admire how they handled a situation. Don’t forget to congratulate yourself too!!

The scenery is changing again with the fall season. Have you had a chance to wander through colorful trees or meander down a nature trail? Maybe it’s time to explore a new path? Embrace the detours that present themselves. Find the silver lining behind the clouds.

I have learned that Life’s Little Detours often have THEE Best Scenery!!

Grab your camera – LET’S GO!!!

xo Deena