“We are at the next station stop. Please watch the gap,” the repeated warning rang over the speakers to caution passengers before exiting the train. The gap between the train and the platform could trip up commuters, or worse.
By the fourth stop or so, the advisory began to sink in on a much deeper level. Most of us are traveling on our life course – from destination to destination. We plan and hope that our next stop is better, higher, bigger. We’re hoping the next destination will hold the promotion, the relationship, accolades, joy, peace and so on. We’ve mapped out the course, bought the ticket and have been on the ride to achieve our heart’s desires.
As the train slows down, anticipation builds and and we’re preparing to enter our next. We’re either super excited because we’re ready to move on or, perhaps, a bit timid because we’re not 100 percent sure about what awaits. But, we’ve made the commitment to move forward. So, we make the last glance over to see if we’re leaving anything behind that we want to take with us , like people or possessions. And then, there’s the announcement again. “We are at the next station stop. Please watch the gap.” The train has stopped and we are oh so close.
The message: Waiting for us at every stop, if we are not careful, is a gap that can trip us up, or worse. If we’re careless, hasty, or in a daze mindlessly going through the motions we can compromise or delay the start to our next level. The warning isn’t meant to scare us, in fact it’s a safeguard. We need not be afraid of the next destination, we just need to be sober and alert so that we don’t sabotage what we’re expecting. The gap can come in many forms – former relationships, bad habits and warped thinking. Let us take heed – being mindful to not fall into the trap of the gap.