Red Light Green Light: Which One Means Go?

Red Light Green Light: Which One Means Go?

“The hardest thing in life to learn
is which bridge to cross
and which to burn.”
David Russell

Of course we know green means go and red means stop! So why do we so often do the opposite in our lives? We ignore the “signs” and stubbornly persist in forging ahead though the light is red and waving crimson flags abound. There is a better way. Signs are there for a reason and we need to pay attention.

Lately I’m cutting down on the number of careers I’m operating. Too much is just too much. How do I know what to drop and what to keep? Simple. I’m paying attention to the signs. For instance, in the past few months I’ve invested a lot of time and energy into building up a part-time healing practice. I’m good at Reiki but although I’ve made many efforts to build my practice it’s not “happening” in such an obvious and bizarre way that I know it’s just not the right time for me to do this. It’s time to let it go.

That’s how I decide what to do. I look for the green lights and open doors; I pay attention to how I feel. I believe if I do that that I’ll be in the best place for me to be.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t abandon anything that seems wants to hold onto me and I don’t advocate quitting prematurely. But for so much of my life I felt like I was floundering in the water, sometimes hanging onto a floatation device, sometimes sinking. Now that I’m working on my passion it’s as if I’ve caught a current and I’m zipping along without the need for a flotation device. What a great feeling this is! Working on what’s working is a lot more fun than trying to make something work that just doesn’t want to work.

Have you ever made a decision to let go of something that wasn’t working in your life? Do you pay attention to signs? What kind of signs speak to you?

photo credit: Horia Varlan

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About The Author


I have always loved writing and community building. I’ve written a book about healing and happiness, The Happy Place, as well as a Community Building book, Sounding the Drum: Community Building in the Digital Age,both available at any Amazon store. I’ve been through life changes that I thought were the end of my world, but I’m still here. You never know what will happen next. Isn’t that what makes life interesting?