Drive. Align. Shift. Spirit Driving Institute Blog

Perspective on Your Journey

My husband and I used to go on a lot of road trips. I can remember that every one had some element of surprise - everything from getting a speeding ticket to having a baby bear jump out in the middle of the road. We would always have a good story to tell at the end of the trip.

The most memorable parts of the trip were often those things that seemed to be the most annoying or troublesome at the time. As I scan through my professional journey, I'm realizing that the same is true. I start to look back on the times when I was stressed or worried about a situation. What I remember most are the people who were there during those times and how I was able to move past the situation.

For example, I can remember a couple years ago when we were planning to buy some office space. On the way to the location, someone rear-ended us. After we were done with our meeting, we discovered that our previous Web host had suffered from a hacking attempt. We were scrambling to get our clients' Web sites back up and running. Both situations quickly diverted our attention away from everything related to buying that space.

Now that I review that time, I realize that there was good reason for both of those situations happening. A few weeks later, I found out that I was pregnant. The Universe was telling us to slow down and continue to focus on our clients and ourselves the way we always have been.

The simple act of reviewing this event made me look back on that time more fondly. In the midst of it, I felt like I was never going to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, I see it as a positive Mile Marker in my journey. Mile Markers represent life lessons on your professional journey. They are generally not intentional stops along the way. Instead, they are stops that the Universe creates for you.

I try to recognize Mile markers even when I'm in the midst of something that seems horrible. For example, I'll pretend that it's a few months in the future and imagine myself saying, "Remember when <fill-in-the-blank>. That was a crazy time." It takes some of the sting off of the present. And it makes me realize that letting my Spirit drive now will help me to see things differently in the future.

Do you have a seemingly horrible event in your professional life that you can now see in a new light?

About Leila Johnson

Leila (pronounced 'Layla') Johnson's book, Driving to Success: Let Your Spirit Take the Wheel, was released on May 20, 2010 as an e-book and on October 21, 2010 in paperback. It is a spiritual retreat for overachieving entrepreneurs and professionals who want to redefine the answer to "What do you want to be when you grow up?". Since 2003, Leila has co-owned and managed their full-service, award-winning Web and communications firm, VelaMira, Inc. dba Data-Scribe® with her husband. As part of her journey on the road of life, Leila has earned her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and in the Metaphysical Sciences. Prior to starting her business, Leila worked as a call center coach, curriculum developer, and trainer in the financial and insurance industries. Leila's sites are http://www.spiritdriving.com and http://www.datascribe.biz.