What if leading through uncertainty is, like driving off road, something we can prepare and practice for?

All cars can go off road, but some are better; better equipped and better prepared to go off road. 

We hear a lot about how much life is constantly changing, that life is not a linear path and yet how ready are we for the time we spend off road? 

At a recent meditation retreat the teacher shared the literal meaning of Dukkha, the word the Buddha used for suffering. The teacher shared that one translation for Dukkha is a poorly fitting axel rod. In the analogy there is the inevitable suffering that is part of the road we all travel in life but there is also the suffering that comes from that poorly fitting axel rod on the road. 

A friend and colleague would often talk about the idea of falling to the level of our training. 

If we are not prepared for the off road or the bumpy road, it will be harder to navigate it.

Rarely do we plan to go off road, the road is the course we want to follow, and while planning is valuable it can never be complete, how can we best prepare to go off road? 

Going back to off road car, regardless of how well equipped it is for the terrain we almost always drive differently, we may grip the steering wheel more tightly, go slower, be in a lower gear. So it is both the ride and the rider that can determine how we navigate the unexpected terrain.

In life, what will help us notice that we have gone off road? 

What are the things we may feel? What may be the outward signs? 

How do we want to respond in those moments? How does that compare to our sometimes default reactions? 

On a course to learn to drive when skidding on ice, the instructor taught us to first turn into the skid before making small, smooth adjustments.

We have written about the subject object move before. What helps us avoid becoming subject to the new terrain and the feelings of going off course?

What helps us turn gently towards rather than immediately away?

What are the thoughts and beliefs that will serve us when we go off the road? For example, the value of being open to the prospect that the road on the map or the plan may not be there, the reality that theory in practice is almost never a perfect match, no doubt eases the initial reaction when we do go off road. We can open ourselves to the possibility to turn in to better navigate clearly. 

How do we want to meet the moments of bumpy terrain? 

If we think of the times we have been on a bumpy ride, we no doubt long for those bumps to be softened. What would be a softer response for you to the bumps in the road? 

Sometimes, thinking of theme parks, the bumps and turns and speed are the purpose of the ride. What if there is something of value we can experience in moments off road rather than focusing solely on getting back on the road? 

What of all our other experiences off road that can serve us in the future? At some point everything was off road. Remembering this can show that while we may not wish for it to al be offroad now, we can navigate it, and the more a terrain is traversed the clearer a path is formed. 

So what if navigating change, leading through change, a meaningful life are really about learning, practising and preparing for the inevitable moments of off road?

What can you do to better prepare yourself for moments off road?

What meaning may be found in those off road moments? 

When faced with a bumpy road, what is the response that will best serve you?

What do you need to best navigate being off road? Who and what can support you?

What may the impact be if we all practiced navigating off road more skillfully?