Life will try and run you over so don’t get caught in the headlights.

I am sure we have all seen roadkill before, the poor unfortunate animals that have completely mistimed something and been pasted to the tarmac – not a pretty sight and neither very beneficial to the animal in question or its environment. That being said many people in the world act just like road kill and have been completely flattened by life and thus are no good to themselves or anyone else. Here are a few tips to ensure you miss being crushed by the juggernaut of life.

1. Find Your Passion

If you have a  clear goal you are less likely to be wandering aimlessly on the highway and thus less likely to be crushed under wheel of the system.

Being passionate about life is the greatest defense you have against becoming roadkill and lost in the system. Having a passion and pursuing it relentlessly makes you COME ALIVE and gives you a reason for getting up in the morning. You passion could be your work, your ideas, your family or friends, a calling etc Whatever it is, if you find what makes you come alive and bounce through life you are less likely to be struck by oncoming traffic.

2. Develop Close Relationships

I am pretty sure the more social of road dwelling animals have a better chance of survival than the lone fox on the highway.

Life at it’s core is all about relationships. What is happiness if not shared. A key way to resist becoming a smear in the history books is to develop great and lasting friendships that grow and develop through your lifetime and through each of your seasons of life. These can be business, social and family or anything in between. Never neglect the power of great friendships and always focus on developing the relationships in your life with the people that mean the most to you. Happiness is enhanced when shared, sorrow is less painful when there is another arm around you, success is sweeter in a groups and failure stings less with more backsides to soften the blow.

3. Constantly Grow

The biggest killer on the highway is a fast moving 4×4, the biggest killer of someones lust for life is stagnation.

When people stop growing and stop learning they start dying. I am sure many have seen or know people that have given up on life, it is difficult as an outsider to observe. Be a fighter in life and constantly take the time to grow and develop yourself so that you never lose your lust for life. Constant movement will ensure your life follows the path of a healthy, vibrant stream and not the green, smelling skank of a stagnating pond. I have know some incredible people in my life that never gave up and never gave in, even in the face of overwhelming odds they never let life beat them. Don’t roll over and play dead but keep moving forward and growing, then inspire others to do the same.

4. Constantly Scare Yourself

Counterintuitive perhaps but the more you choose to live life on the edge the more alert to the oncoming danger of dream killers – those things that suck the life out of you not just run over it.

It is painful to watch someones dreams die and for them to give up. A lot of the time it is a gradual process and it starts when people become complacent and forget that they need to constantly push and scare themselves. When life becomes safe, it also becomes boring and very soon this boring, safe life becomes habit and once that habit is ingrained then passion, excitement and growth die and give way to lazy, bored and self destructive behavior. Protect yourself from this by constantly scaring yourself, doing things that push you out of your comfort zone and into new challenges. Keep yourself on edge so that you do not slip into apathy, as it is one of the greatest killers on the highway of life.

5. Hold things lightly

Sometimes holding onto the goal of crossing the road is going to get you killed.

Learn to laugh at yourself and at life. After all life is not that serious, it really is just one big game. We don’t have much time to play it so why bother too much about playing by the rules, playing it safe all the time or being a stickler for how things “Should be”. Who is to say how things should be? Believe strongly in your dreams and your goals but hold onto them lightly. Plans change, perspectives develop with age and goals and dreams are flexible. Embrace this fact and try going with the flow a bit more or you are going to find yourself getting very frustrated with this thing we call life. If you are determined to get across that road at a particular time but the traffic is just too heavy it is best to wait or change plans. If you don’t it is likely that you are going to end up as a metaphorical splat on a large vans windscreen.

In summary

I don’t want to be roadkill and I am pretty sure you don’t either, but you must realise that it is easier then you think to make a mistake on the highway and sometimes only one mistake unchecked is all it takes before life crushes you. However if you think about some of the suggestions I have made and perhaps rethink some of your habits and current actions then maybe this post might just save some potential accidents – I hope so anyhow.

Peace all.