post

Dammit…I Missed The Exit!

July 3, 2012 by 8 Comments

“Recalculating…Recalculating”

We have a dysfunctional GPS in one of our cars.

She (our GPS is a “she”) periodically decides to inform us of the exit we should take right as we’re flying past at 65 or 70 miles per hour.

This is exactly what happened this past weekend as we were leaving town to head to Upper Peninsula, Michigan.

We were following the GPS instructions to a T when we approached a split where the highway continues straight and Interstate 39 branches off in opposite directions.

The GPS was silent.

The split was coming up really fast. Cars were whizzing past on either side. Still nothing.

What do I do? What do I do?  Dammit, why isn’t she saying anything?!? 

“Keep right on exit 267B,”  she finally droned as I zoomed past the exit.

WTF?!?  I’m passing 267B right now…and it’s on the left, not the right!

“Continue north on Interstate 39 for six miles,” she says, not yet realizing that I’ve just missed the turn because of her late, incorrect guidance.

“Re-calculating, re-calculating!” She squawks in accusation.

It Is Impossible to Miss the “Big One”

Have you ever been afraid that you would miss out on something big in life?

When I was a teenager, I remember thinking, what if I miss the “one”?!?

We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

What if I miss the perfect opportunity?

What if I miss out on my only chance for happiness?

What if I make the wrong choice?

You don’t regret a missed opportunity. You regret the fantasy of it.
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Every Time You Reach The End Zone You Score

We’ve all heard this quote (or some variation of it): “Life is the journey, not the destination.”

Yet, you and I still run around terrified of missing out.

Here’s the deal…

If you’re here, you’re still in the game.

If you’re in the game, you will reach the end zone.

Every time you reach the end zone, you score.

The only way to lose is to never reach the end zone…and that’s impossible.

So now that you know that, you are free to live your life. Free to do what makes you happy.

Don’t be afraid you will miss the exit.  Your life is your purpose…Just go do it!

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Note: This post is part of the 31-post Ultimate Blog Challenge. During the month of July, 2012, I will be posting 31 times. Since this is a lot of posts over a short period of time, I prepared a special page where you can catch any you may have missed.

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About Steve

Hi, I'm Steve Rice and my goal is to transform simple philosophical truths into practical fuel to revolutionize your life. It's not about self-help, it's about self-reliance. I show you how. Connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and let me know how I can help you.

  • http://twitter.com/petermeadit Peter Mead IT

    Hi Steve, you sure have made me think here. It is reassuring that next time when I miss out on the lottery and I know it had my name all over it, then that’s ok, it will come to me later…
    :)

    Anyway I will take comfort from you post…

    • http://www.KarmicKappuccino.com Steve Rice

      Hey there, Peter…thanks again for stopping by. I’m glad this post made you think a sec. Seriously, though, if you win the lotto, we’re best friends, right?!? :)

      Love your sense of humor, my friend.

  • Dawn

    Hey you — lovely, I wrote a post once about who’s sat nav do you listen — inspired by a man who drove off a cliff because ‘she’ told him to keep going…bin it! Please! Let of her! Thanks and tweeted. xxx

    • http://www.KarmicKappuccino.com Steve Rice

      Haha…that’s awful, Dawn. There are all sorts of analogies I coulda drawn from this…about listening to intuition, etc. Appreciate you sharing and stopping to comment. Always love stopping by your place. I really appreciate your direct voice and clear communication style.

  • http://www.facebook.com/tazim.damji Tazim Damji

    I like how you added in the story of the literal missed exit and talked about missed opportunities. I understand what you mean about not worrying about missing out on ‘the big one’ but in the same way I don’t want to regret not checking something out. For instance, I moved to Calgary from Vancouver because I’d always thought about “what if” in terms of moving back to the city my partner and I grew up in – and also, do we want a house and a more ‘settled’ life? Well, we explored it, and moved back here and realized it absolutely was not something we wanted, and we wouldn’t be missing out on that part of life (having a house etc.) because we don’t want that kind of life.
    I’m checking out some of your other posts. Glad I found your blog through the blog challenge!

    • http://www.KarmicKappuccino.com Steve Rice

      Hi, Tazim! Thanks for stopping by and sharing my post!

      I read your post about not being happy in the City where you have a good job. I loved it. It made me think.

      I’m with you. I do believe there is a “flow” of life, but I also think we have responsibility to honor our curiosity and to really delve into what we really do and do not wwant.

      I am in this process in areas of my life right now, so I can really relate. So are you guys moving back to Vancouver? Have heard great things about the area (Victoria Island and Vancouver…and want to visit some day.

      Either way, I’m wishing you the best for the life you dream of!

  • http://twitter.com/AmyPutkonen Amy Putkonen

    Hi Steve,

    We call our little GPS friend Garmina. We say that when she says, “recalculating” that she is having a fit because you can almost hear the panic in her voice. She seems very anal retentive, don’t you think? My husband tells me, “always trust Garmina” but I don’t always. My sister calls it “driving into the lake” from some episode of The Office she saw one day.

    I have family in the UP. Have fun up there. Hopefully it is way cooler than it is down here!

    In races, it is fine to be anything but DNF (Did Not Finish) or DFL (Dead F*ing Last). That has helped me through many a pinch.

    • http://www.KarmicKappuccino.com Steve Rice

      Haha…Amy, I’m so glad you got that. She does sound like she’s having a conniption fit (yes, I had to google how to spell that).

      I’m with you…can’t always trust the Garmin. My phone is a Google phone and has Google maps navigation, so we use that as a backup, plus the woman is much more sweet sounding!

      This trip was 2 weeks ago. It was chilly in the evenings. I’m in south-central WI (near Madison) and it’s hot today…about 100F. The UP was fun, and we’re heading back in Aug and maybe Sept/Oct when the leaves change. I want to do the drive around Lake Superior (into Canada), but we’ll see.

      I love your acronyms: DNF and DFL. Life is only done when you quit, IMHO. And we don’t have the option of “DNF” in this race. A relief to me in a way! :)