I was driving today on the toll roads and I found myself thinking about how this concept correlate to our everyday lives. They say the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.
Today my initial thought was that going this route comes at a price and not everyone is willing to pay that price. Every single time I go on the toll road I make a conscious decision that the price I pay to drive it is worth the time it will save me. Sometimes I will pay the toll just for the piece of mind of knowing there are less people and therefore I decrease my chances of an accident even though the other lanes are moving at the same speed. I think traveling on this toll road allows us to clear our brain because we do not have to constantly be on the lookout for other drivers weaving in and out of traffic just to cut a couple seconds off of their commute… It allows us to sit back and focus on the one or two lanes in the toll road. In a sense it brings a sense of calm and clarity because the chaos of other drivers is highly reduced due to the price. It also makes you a lot more noticeable because driving in this lane you do not get lost in the shuffle. You stand out, and therefore are very visible to those not in your lane and puts you in this theoretical spotlight.
I think this is pretty similar to life and business. To try and create your own path is life/business typically comes at a price and in order to succeed you have to pay the toll… Going on the road less traveled definitely opens you up for criticism because you are more visible to those around you and they can watch your every move. Trust me when I say that there are many people watching from the outside to see if you get to your destination and what roadblocks you may incur. Some people will root for your success and some will wait for you to fail. Some people will spend an abundance of time wondering why you chose that path even though it does not affect them in any way shape or form. It is human nature to watch and judge and you have to be able to work through that and keep telling yourself this is “your path”.
If you decide to pay this toll you can get in your lane and focus on what’s in front of you instead of all the chaos and noise on the road that everyone travels.. There is not a lot of traffic/distractions because quite frankly there are not a lot of people willing to pay the toll in business and life. Everyone wants to make money and everyone wants to be the next big success story but when it comes down to it people choose to stay on the main road due to the fear of the unknown.
This road can be boring sometimes because there are not as many people around and you can find yourself scare and alone… It is at this time you have to trust the process. You have to trust that you will get to your destination and if you just stay the course you will arrive!!! It is not to say there are not drawbacks. Think about it, if you get a flat tire on the main road your are more easily accessible for “help” to come rescue you. If you get a flat on the toll road you are going to be by yourself. There will be less people around to help but as long as you’re prepared to work through this on your own the journey is that much more enjoyable.
Without failure there is no success… I think those of you that choose to pay the toll will unlock a lot of potential that you never knew existed. #SeeYouAtTheTop
Pey-It-Forward 