Obasesam Okoi|10 July 2016|7:00AM
On Wednesday July 6, I had an appointment at 3:00 PM. I left my colleagues at a conference planning meeting at exactly 2:40 PM and made straight to the parking lot.
By the time I hit the highway I had already calculated in my head how long it will take me to arrive at my destination. I thought I could make it within 15 minutes.
But I didn't envisage any delays that may occur at the traffic lights. I didn't foresee that I will be traveling behind a slow driver.
The speed limit on the highway was 60 kilometers per hour. I maintained the speed unit until I negotiated the road leading to my destination.
Even though it was a farm road with a bumpy terrain that made driving a somewhat unpleasant experience, I was surprised that the speed limit was 80 kilometers per hour.
As I drove further along the bumpy road, I got closer to a vehicle that was speeding at 60 kilometers per hour instead of the normal 80 kilometers.
I was frustrated that the vehicle wasn't moving faster. I thought of overtaking. But I couldn't. I had to reduce my speed instead.
I had driven a few kilometers and getting closer to my destination when the vehicle in front began to slow down. Then I noticed the signal. Suddenly it drove into the same address I am traveling to.
Wao! “We are driving to the same destination,” I exclaimed. I arrived the destination, finished my business and left before everyone who arrived before me.
The lesson learned from this experience is that life is a journey and everyone is a moving vehicle.
Regardless of how fast or slow you drive, you will certainly get to your destination if you know where you're going. Knowing your destination is far more important than the speed at which you chose to travel.
The second lesson is that you're not in a competition with anybody. Some people want to make it fast and may chose to drive the full speed limit. If you can't maintain that speed limit, drive slowly.
Sometimes driving slowly doesn't make you incompetent, it just shows that you're taking your time to calculate the risk that is involved in driving too fast. You might just be missing some important signposts along the road.
Sometimes obstacles will arise along the way that may delay your speed. If that happens, thank God and continue your journey.
The third lesson is that how fast you arrive at your destination doesn't make you more successful than the man who arrives late.
What are the real world implications of this experience?
Some people get discouraged in life and park their vehicles because their friends have traveled further than them. Many people resign to a sorrowful life because they believe their friends have arrived their destinations while they themselves are still undertaking their journey.
But life is not a competition. What really matter in life is not the speed at which you're traveling, but whether you know where you're traveling to, and whether you will finish your journey on earth successfully.
Obasesam Okoi
Writes from Canada