I'm getting back in my work groove after a few days away.
Last week I was
in Devon with friends. And one day we checked out an old-school museum.
All the exhibits were from the golden age of fairgrounds.
And the really fun part was that some of the rides were running.
I felt like a kid again
when I hopped on a ghost train.
As expected, there were plenty of ghosts and ghouls as we zipped round the track.
But something felt a little off.
The ride wasn’t as exciting as I expected.
I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.
Our carriage rolled round back to the start and that’s when my friend piped up:
“The lights were on! Can we go round again?”
Ah. That was it.
We were the first people on the ride that day. And the ghost train guy had forgotten to turn off the lights.
The whole ride had been lit up like a Christmas tree.
And I hadn’t clocked it.
No wonder something felt a bit off.
We’d seen everything from the start. All the ghosts lined up ready to scare us.
Talk about ruining the element of
surprise.
So we went round again. And this time the ride was frightening.
The ghosts and ghouls were appearing at random and I actually jumped a couple of times.
A little while later it dawned on me...
The ghost train ride was just like life.
Ghost trains have twists and turns you don’t see coming. And life does too.
There are always surprises.
Sometimes these surprises can add fun to life…
And make things more exciting or satisfying.
Other times these surprises can be downright
scary.
But unlike the ghost train, we can’t turn the lights on and off in life.
We can’t look into the future and see what surprises are around the corner.
So, we should expect the unexpected.
But we should also lean into these twists and turns...
(a bit like asking the lights to be turned off on the ghost train)
...because this is when life brings adventure, discovery and opportunity.
So sit back and enjoy the ride.
That’s it for today. I'm off to the gym.
Until
tomorrow.
- Tom
p.s. Whenever you're ready, here are the ways you can connect with me