I should start by saying, I never get pulled over by the cops

 

But last week, I got pulled over TWICE.

The first time, I was stopped at a red light and I picked up my phone to check it. As I put it down on the passenger seat, my eyes caught something on my left. A police car. And, a police woman. Staring at me. CUE heart palpitations.

She pulled me over, and she was seriously the kindest, most compassionate and gentle soul. I started apologising profusely, saying I was so sorry, I wasn’t driving and texting, just checking it, and I have bluetooth, and I would never text and drive, etc. etc. etc. She was kind of agreeing with me – ‘I know, it’s hard not to check, I want to do the same thing sometimes too, but just put it in a cradle and don’t touch it when the keys are in the ignition. This is a warning, but some other cop or highway patrol would give you a ticket straightaway.’ I thanked her a million times, and drove home, shaky.

Then 2 short days later, I got pulled over again.

This time, I wasn’t so lucky. My mind was elsewhere – on the talk I’d be giving that night at the Eat Fit Food Winter Health Kit event, on the projects I’m currently working on, on making sure I wasn’t late to my next appointment. I was not aware a policeman was on my tail, whereas when I’m focused and present, I know exactly who’s driving around me. So… I went through a stop sign, not seeing, thinking it was a give-way, and I changed lanes without indicating, on a very empty street.

 

**SIREN**

Shaky hands, I hand over my license.

‘At least my phone is in my bag on the floor’ – I think to myself, and thank myself.

Mr Cop says to me ‘Everything you say is being recorded, and your driving was just filmed.’

‘Excellent’ me thinks.

Mr Cop says ‘Do you know what you just did?’

To be perfectly honest, my head was so not in my car, that I didn’t.

He tells me, I say I’M SO SORRY, and then, he looks me in my eyes and says…

‘I think you’ve got too much on, you’re trying to do too many things at once. Would you agree?’

 

Um, Universe… IS THAT YOU?

 

After fining me over $500 and docking me 5 demerit points, I say ‘Thank you’ because I’m polite, and he says ‘Don’t thank me – I hate giving tickets’. Cue laughter.

Anyway… what this taught me is:

• If we don’t see (either because we’re choosing not to see, or it doesn’t seem to make sense yet) messages or little signs from the Universe, (e.g. getting pulled over the first time) then it will continue to send bigger and bigger lessons until we get the point! Universe, I hear ya sweetie.
• Even if the lesson seems harsh, and painful, it’s teaching us something – in my case, it was asking me (first gently, then with a little more force so I could see) to slow down and focus on one thing at a time.
• As soon as I started to do this, to slow down and place one foot in front of the other, so many other things fell into place and I actually opened myself up to a huge and gorgeous flow of inspiration, which felt so powerful that I felt my head was going to explode this past weekend. By allowing myself to focus on one thing first, (in this instance, focusing on one project at a time, instead of working on 2-3 at a time) not only was I more productive, creative and intuitive with the first project, but ideas flowed through me, naturally and intuitively, for my other projects, without me having to even lift a finger – figuratively speaking – or brainstorm new ideas for later projects.

Am I a little bit sad I had to learn this lesson with a $500+ fine and 5 demerit points? Yes. But I’m also grateful no one was hurt in the learning of this lesson (except maybe, my ego, but she’s not totally me anyway, right Eckhart Tolle?!) I’m grateful because I’ll never make this same mistake again, and I realise the importance (on so many levels) of staying in the present moment, and doing one thing at a time.

How do I do this?

By simply reminding myself, and asking myself to be here, right now. To focus, stay calm, be present, and relax. Also, yoga helps. A lot.

What little lessons are you learning or signs are you seeing that are guiding you to slow down, or take a different route? Are you listening to your heart and intuition, or getting stuck in your head? 

 

Big love,