I’ve lived in Sidney, BC for three years and I’ve never seen a place with so many roads that say ‘no exit’. I guess that’s what happens when you live on a peninsula!
When I would happen upon a cross street and see the ‘no exit’ sign I would obviously turn around and go the other way…until one day.
I was on my bike just cruising around and I happened upon an intersection with a ‘no exit’ sign but instead of turning away from the sign, I turned toward it and headed down the road, just to see what I could see.
I was thrilled and excited to find a path at the end of the street and I proceeded to find a new road, more trails and a surprise beach access that I had no idea existed.
After that incident, time and time again I would continue down these ‘no exit’ routes and every time I ended up with a new and unexpected outcome.
I thought ‘no exit’ meant ‘no exit’ but I didn’t realize that it meant ‘no exit by car’ – which is completely different than if you are on a bike or walking.
Then I thought about life. So many times, we seem to get frozen by the ‘no exit’ signs. We feel stuck, blocked, trapped. We think there is only one way to go and only one way to get there. In reality, though, we are not stuck, blocked, or trapped. There is always another idea to try, another plan to be uncovered, another person to ask.
Sometimes we need to change our mode of transportation or our mindset, to take a chance and go where most people don’t go, to poke our heads around the corner and see what’s possible even if all the signs seem to indicate nothing is possible, to say ‘yes’ even when ‘no’ seems the obvious choice.
Especially now, in these trying times, when there seem to be ‘no exit’ signs everywhere, wouldn’t it be cool to find some little known paths (strategies) that lead to cool places (solutions) and then help show other people the way too?
Next time you see (or feel) a ‘no exit’ sign – let it be a sign of undiscovered opportunities for you.
Hanging in together, Steph
PS – I’m offering 3 ways to work together: in-person speaking engagements for Small Team Success, virtual programs on Revitalization & Emotional Wellness in Turbulent Times and 1:1 personal coaching for Enhanced Quality of Life. Click reply and let’s start a convo!
