Dear Wounded Heart,

A wise business owner shared a valuable piece of advice with me. He said, “If presented with an escalator or a flight of stairs, take the stairs.” And although we were talking about business, I took the quote and dissected it. And what I learned is that it applies to many areas of our lives.

We live by phrases like the early bird gets the worm. But many people get up early and lay down to rest late, therefore missing opportunities because they weren’t alert enough to catch them. Lack of knowledge and moving too fast cause us to solicit help from those who make themselves our crutch. Dependency can lead to bondage, and if you don’t move at their pace without the crutch, it causes you to fail. People learn escalators are quicker than stairs until clothing gets caught in one. Then we realize that a malfunctioning escalator can leave us scarred and naked at best, and death is a more devastating reality. But if we take the stairs, we can take time to refresh ourselves; survive on our own merits; hopefully not become a casualty of a desire to succeed quickly.

Early birds, predators, and escalators all have their place in the scheme of things. Fast and furious quick note systems work for some people. But I think I prefer the stairs. When I look back down the staircase, I want to be grateful for a path of integrity. Plans built on learning, trial and error, grit, and room for expansion. I am not trying to convince you how to live your life; I am simply offering a look at the overlooked view from the stairs.

Sincerely,

Healing