Hold that Train

The train whistled and the conductor yelled, "All aboard". She stood up from the comfortable bench she was sitting on and looked back at the comfort of that bench longingly. The bench was lined with a silky fabric that was quite soft to the touch. Underneath the silky fabric, was a secondary layer of extra padding. This padding made the bench the most comfortable she had felt in a very long time. She really did not want to leave the comfort of the bench, yet something was pulling her back toward the direction of the train she left a few months back. She pulled out her punched ticket and began to wonder if she really wanted to leave the comfort behind. As she began to walk toward the train, she had several fears. Would she trip as she ran back toward the train? Would the conductor hold the train long enough? Would she be able to leave the comfort she had come to know over the past few months? Would she be able to walk up the stairs without falling? Would the fellow passengers mock her and laugh at her for being lost and gone for so long? Would they think she didn't have it in her to stay on the train this time around, since she was gone for so long? As she faced the fears head on, she took all of determination she could muster, and got back on the train and returned to her seat among the passengers. Soon after she sat down, the conductor approached her with a smirk and a smile. "Excuse me, Engineer, why are you seated amongst the passengers. Don't you remember, you are the driver of this train?" He then took her ticket and replaced it with an engineer cap. Knowing she was now the driver, made her realize an even greater fear. She did second guess her own ability to stay on the train this time, but she knew, there was something in her that would not let her give up on her destination. Since she is the driver of the train, she is in charge of her final destination. Where was she going you might ask? She was heading to a destination that could provide her the quality of life she had always wanted. Although there will be several other stops along the way with very comforting features and lots of temptations, she knows now, that it is okay to be tempted by the comfort and knows that her fears were myths. She knows she can always get back on the train and that she is not a passenger on the train, she is the Engineer and in charge of her destination to every last step.

I took a path to comfort and decided to stay on my bench a little too long this past year. I am glad I decided to not only re-board my train, but also became the engineer again. It is NEVER too late.

What is your destination this New Year? Where are you driving your train? We are given many choices to make, what plans do you have in place to make sure you are making the choices that are best alligned with your destination?