Life Is Like A Roller Coaster - You Should Probably Buckle Up

Last night, I had a dream that I was on a roller coaster. I love roller coasters and I was super excited as soon we took off! However, there was one problem: I wasn't buckled in. When I looked down and noticed I wasn't buckled in, I was scared out of my mind. I feared death, but somehow the thought that no one else was aware I was in danger was even scarier to me.

I had to literally grip my seat with everything in me so that I wouldn't fall off and die. For a moment, I thought I would try to ignore it and have fun anyway. I knew I trusted myself to hang on tightly, and it was a quick ride. I was sure I could survive without worrying. I even believed I didn't need to be buckled in!

Well, there was obviously no logic in that. Soon my arms and hands were growing weak and we were coming up on our first loop. I kept telling myself “I'm gonna make it”. At the top of the loop, however, I thought I was going to die. 

But I didn't. 

Then it occurred to me how risky that was, and the thought made me even more afraid.

More loops were coming up ahead, and I realized that I couldn't hold on for much longer. That pretty much sealed the deal, and I began to yell: “Stop the ride, stop the ride!!!”. I felt like an idiot for yelling, since there was no one “driving” the roller coaster. And even if there was, there's no way they would've heard me.

Well, apparently everyone on the ride heard me, and they all looked back and began to laugh at me. I became overwhelmed with embarrassment, I felt my shame become exposed and I wept in front of everyone. The ride stopped, and I woke up.

Life is like a roller coaster. It's fast, there's ups and downs, it's both scary and enjoyable. It's more fun with other people, it's more fun when you're living in the moment, and it's more fun when you're buckled in. (Trust me. I learned that the hard way.) But, maybe you have too.

We need to be buckled in - not just for safety, but for our enjoyment as well. We need structure in life, we need boundaries, and we need stability in order to make smart decisions. I'm not going to tell you how to find those things (different rides have different kinds of buckles). But, I will say that if you want to have the best life you can possibly have, you're going to need a strong buckle. So, what does that look like to you? What boundaries are you setting up for yourself? How are you going to deal with negativity? Are you preparing for the “loops” in your life?

It's all your choice, but don't tell yourself “you got this” if you honestly don't. You might realize later that you took a risk you shouldn't have, and then you'll be lost in regret and fear. All of the problems that lie ahead will become even more daunting then they were before. You'll start screaming for help and feeling like an idiot. You'll become too exhausted, and feel ashamed when you ask for help.

Wake up. Don't do that. That whole time you were worrying over every little detail, you could've been buckling yourself in. Actually, you could've done that way before the loops and the turns even happened. 

Dumb choices lead to more dumb choices, and since we're all pretty dumb, we should probably buckle up.