Don't dread the detours

One snowy night last December, I was on my way to the gym after work when I suddenly encountered stand-still traffic in Kenmore Square.  "Oh, this is great," I sarcastically thought as I anxiously tried to finagle my way through the parking lot of cars.  "Now, I'll never get to the gym on time for my boot camp class."  I was feeling frustrated because I knew I needed to be at the class to alleviate the stress of the holiday season.  But I was only adding to my stress level by frantically inching along and impatiently counting the seconds until each light turned green.

But then it hit me...no, not another car LOL.  It hit me that I had a choice in how I was reacting to this situation.  I realized that I needed to just go with the flow and made an alternative plan.  So I made the decision right then that if I didn't get to the gym on time, I would take a walk instead.  And with that decision, my stress melted away like the flakes of snow on my windshield.


I ended up taking a walk along the beach as the snow was gently falling.  Not a person was around and it was an entirely serene and ethereal experience.  I had never been so close to the ocean during a winter storm, as I usually only walked there on a warm summer day, and the darkness and intensity of the waves were astounding. As I was nearing the end of my walk, I walked by my local church and heard the strains of holiday music and stepped inside to have a look.  I ended up staying for a mid-week holiday service.

The snow, the serenity, the solitude and the midnight blue hue of the ocean waves during that wintry evening all contributed to it being a magical and surreal experience.  And it got me to thinking.  If I hadn't been detoured by the traffic jam in Kenmore Square that evening, I would never have experienced any of this. And it was exactly what I needed in my stressed-out state.

When you experience a detour in your life...a deviation from the plan you had in mind...pay attention to it.  It might just be the universe's way of sending you a message or giving you something that you need right now.  So go with it and stop trying to hold onto your original plan.  And maybe, just as I did, you will also experience a moment of magic...one that you had never imagined.