There is a little game I learned how to play the very first time I came to New York (about four years ago now). And I still play it to this very day.
You see, Manhattan is a walking town. Everyone walks. Everywhere. The rule is that every block takes about one minute to walk and every avenue takes approximately three minutes (depending on your pace). Which means there are a whole lot of stoplights to contend with.
And at every corner, you are either faced with this…
Or this…
You have a choice every time. Stop and wait for the sign to give you the “all clear”. Or follow the path that is already open and beckoning you forward.
Me? Well, this town has taught me to try and go with the flow.
I now try to follow the path that is open to me at all times. Which, to be honest, is not something I have always been particularly good at.
I often have a big vision. And for a long time, I believed things should unfold a certain way in order to ensure I arrived at my desired destination. But I am learning life often has other plans.
We can resist this. Get stopped. Stalled. Frustrated. Disheartened.
Or we can simply try to keep watching for the route that is open and available. Trust that the universe may just have a better plan for you.
This little NYC traffic game has taught me to continue to move toward my desired destination but not to get too bound up in the “how”.
Cuz sometimes that ain’t up to us.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t continue to consult the map.
Talk to the people that can make the best recommendations.
Research, research, research.
But once you’ve done that?
Trust the signs.
In doing this, you can navigate streets you wouldn’t otherwise see.
Meet people you would have missed out on. Experience things otherwise impossible had you held fast to your original plan.
Trust you will still reach your ultimate destination.
The key lies in your choosing how you get there.
So which would you prefer?
A controlled, linear, stop & wait approach?
Or might you just keep moving… NYC streetlight style…