As some of you may know, I started a new job about 2 weeks ago now. This job is more on the career path I want to be on, it came with better salary and benefits, great people, and is at a thriving family-owned company. One of my favorite parts about it is that it’s no more than 12 minutes from my apartment. This privilege allows me to drive home for an hour lunch break everyday and take care of our dog and relax before heading back to finish the second half of the day.
So last week I was heading back to work from my break and little did I know my good mood would soon turn into the most annoyed mood I’ve been in in a while. As I approached this light down my street, I got in the left lane to make a left. While the light was red, I lifted my iPhone up for a moment to check the time and see if I had any messages and I quickly placed the phone down as the light turned green. As soon as I turned left, there was a young cop riding my ass. Shocking, I know. I didn’t think much of it until I realized he was pulling me over.
I had no clue what the problem was as I pulled to the side of the main road and put my hazard lights on. I grabbed my registration and insurance card out of my glove box before the cop even got to my window. As he approached, I turned off my radio and pulled my black sunglasses up on my head. When I handed him my information I asked the per usual question “Is everything alright, officer?”
“You can’t be on your phone.”
“Be on my phone? I wasn’t on my phone, I glanced at it at the red light to check the time for work and that was it.”
He sarcastically went on to ask me if my car clock was not sufficient enough as I went on to explain that it indeed changes the time every now and again and I had to make sure I’d be back at work on time (which ironically now I would not be due to this bullshit.)
After taking his sweet time back in his car writing me a completely unfair ticket for using a cell phone, I sat in my car taking deep breaths so I would not get a sudden urge to tell this cop to go drive his car off the fucking Grand Canyon.
The longer I sat there as people drove passed rubbernecking me, the more irate I became. Once he returned with my cell phone ticket, I simply smiled as he explained “you can’t be texting or even looking at your phone.” Then I closed my window as he walked back to his car. As I drove the rest of the way to work (already late) I became more and more angry, considering the fact that I haven’t gotten pulled over in like 3 years and haven’t gotten any kind of ticket in like 5. Not to mention I didn’t really do anything wrong. I wish I was at least talking on the phone or something, then I would have understood. Luckily, my boss understands the cops around here and totally related to my story.
Anyway, as the day grew on I became more annoyed at the cop for screwing me over so he could look good, I fantasized about how I would go to court and fight the ticket, what I would say, what I would wear, and how I’d print up my phone and text records to show I was not utilizing the phone in that fashion. For the next while, I obsessed over this. The next day, as I prepared for an important meeting with my boss and the Senior Vice President of the company I’m working for, it dawned on me...I’m being tested right now.
Yes, the ticket got under my skin and yes I’ll have to pay an unreasonable amount of money, and yes I’ll have to move on with my week, my work, and my life. Things could SURELY be worse. The universe is testing my patience and strength, am I passing?
If you think about it, life is a series of tests. You get into a fender bender on your way home from a rough day at work, you get sick right before a concert you spent a decent amount of money on the tickets for, you wake up and glance at your alarm clock that you realize didn’t go off as you spring out of bed running late for work, you wind up working at the same office as your ex-girlfriend’s new guy (awkward!), you spent an hour at the grocery store and drove all the way home before remembering that you walked out without the main thing you went in for, you spill coffee on your pants as you’re driving to go on a hot date, you’re unhappy on a certain morning and have to deal with trying to look happy for the rest of the day, you’re angry and have to try to calm yourself down, or you’re stressed from all the external things this life throws in our direction. How are you dealing with it? Are you stressing yourself out more or are you being your own supporter?
The funny thing is most of these “tests” life gives us are challenges. Most of the tests are testing your stress level, your patience, your knowledge, your strength, your passion, your self control, your ability to move on, your awareness, your confidence, your maturity, your ability to learn, and much more. The ironic part about it is that life may provide the tests, but you are the one who gets to grade them.
Just like with me and my recent ticket experience, I could have chosen to go to court and take time off from my new job to go and pursue some asshole cop who had nothing better to do. He is not worth it and it is not worth it. By the time I drove over there, paid the court fees, and the money I’d lose taking off from work, I’m better off paying the ticket and relieving myself of any hassles. Karma, I need you to step in on this one for me. What’s the lesson of this test? ...Letting it go.
I’ve learned that it’s not so much grading yourself on the tests presented to you, but more so finding the valuable lessons behind them.
Sometimes you fail to appreciate success, you lose so you can understand the joy of winning, sometimes problems arise so you can learn to let them go, or you get heartbroken to build up strength, sometimes you forget something important so you’ll always remember it, or you get too much piled on your plate so you can learn how to manage, sometimes people will hurt you so you can be a better judge of character, or people may pop up in your life that you rather not see so you can showcase your grace and maturity, and sometimes certain things will pressure you so you learn how to adapt and overcome.
So despite the stress, pressure, worries, angry moments, sadness, awkwardness, breakdowns, shutdowns and meltdowns...sometimes you just have to keep in mind life is testing your limits. And when appropriate, throw your hands up and sarcastically scream out “THANKS LIFE!”
No matter what is testing you recently, remember you get to give yourself a gold star or mark your life up with those all too familiar red marks and make some adjustments. More importantly, keep in mind that within every test lies a lesson.
