Wait for it… wait… now, brake now, hard; ok, off the brake and turn the wheel, roll it out, now hit the gas… go, go, go, faster faster! Now off the gas, wait for it, wait, now BRAKE! My racing instructors have all told me the exact same thing, “racing a car takes a certain amount of patience and restraint”.

 

The most common mistake new drivers make is to charge the corners too fast, and go in too hot which means we have to hit the brakes mid turn and the car gets all out of shape. Sounds like life doesn’t it? At least it sounds like mine. I am a big believer in action. It fuels my life(literally), so when my instructors started directing me to practice patience and restraint, it was a bit disarming and not my normal pattern. (Not the words I would have expected to hear from an instructor on a race track, would you?).

 

I am more of a dive right into the water than dangle my toes on the side of the pool kinda gal. I could not however deny that the people that were telling me to practice patience and restraint are some of the fastest drivers in the events I attend or compete in, so I have taken their advice to heart, and in more than just my racing. It has become a great mantra for life. If I pause for just that one second, I can ask myself things like: Do I really need that item? (no) Do I really want to call that person? (Nope) Do I really want to jump out of that plane? (Yes, I did!) Do I really want to say that? (Perhaps not) You get the idea. So my question to you: In what ways can you practice patience and restraint in your life?

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