Society
A Delicate Dance With The Lights
By Priscah Motogwa
Go ! Get ready to stop ! Stop !
As pedestrians and drivers , this is what we encounter everyday while traversing towns and cities , as we live life . Traffic lights establish a sense of order and safety on our roads . They are necessary - without them there would be utter chaos on our roads .
Traffic lights are the best example of the phrase often used in design circles . Keep Things Simple Stupid ( KISS ). Because of their simplicity , traffic lights are thus used in a lot more spaces over and above the transport sector . In Project Management , traffic lights are used to assess the progress of a project . In corporate governance , they are used to metaphorically illustrate the need for an organization ’ s units to work as a system rather than in silos .
In the different seasons of our lives , traffic lights are also at play . Let me illustrate how .
It is Time to Go
In the context of our lives , going denotes progress . This could be at work , at home , with relationships .... whichever space you maybe in . It is only natural as human beings to want to see that whatever we apply our minds and hands to do , comes to a fruitful conclusion . We all want to see our projects at work ending successfully , on time and within budget . Those dating , are working to eventually settle into marriage . We all want to see our marriages thrive and our relationships deepen . We want to see our children grow into global citizens who can meaningfully contribute to the betterment of society . We all want to see our country growing from one level to the next better level .
Pause calls for reflection . Schedule moments for reflection for your own life . We do this so well at work with regular reviews . How much more is such a review required in your own life ? Remember you are the CEO of Me . Inc . Don ’ t just keep going , pause to evaluate what ’ s working in your life , what ’ s not working , and what needs to be amended .
As human beings we are wired for growth . That is why after achieving mastery at one level , we soon become itchy looking for the next thing . Going therefore is good for us because it makes us better .
However , just like when we experience different things on the roads that affect our cruising speed such as traffic jams , rumble strips and bumps , the pace of going in our lives differs depending on a range of factors .
Some things in your life maybe cruising at a good speed . At the same time , other things in your life could be in a traffic jam and moving slowly . Still for others , you could have made progress only to find that the road ahead has been closed and thus forced to take an about turn .
And if you think about it , if everything in our lives was cruising well and at a good speed , we would neither get the opportunity to learn nor to grow . None of us likes character development situations , but we all agree that they are actually useful to us in the long run . That is what experience is really about . That is how to build resilience and grit .
So , enjoy the things that are moving well in your life . Learn from the things in your life that are troubled with challenges . Even turning back , whilst difficult , is part of your learning and growth journey . As Thomas Edison said many years ago in his journey of inventing the light bulb , “ I have not failed . I ’ ve just found 1,000 ways that won ’ t work .”
I cannot wrap up this section without acknowledging how complex life has become and continues to be . We are living in a world with constant changes . The
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