Do not enter.   No parking.   Drop off/Pick up only.   These are some of the signs you would see when you drive into the domestic terminal of the Grand Bahama International Airport, or most airports for that matter.   You might even say these signs invite you to leave as quickly as you would have arrived.

            What concerns me most about the parking system at the Grand Bahama airport is that it does not allow one to come in and conduct any sort of business with the airlines.   Where are the signs for persons who have not come to drop off or pick up, but rather have come to purchase a ticket or check on the arrival time of an aircraft?

            Yes, there is a parking lot. However, why should someone have to pay $2.00 or more just to go into a building for five or ten minutes?   Why was an area not constructed for short-term parking without having to clock into a parking lot?   Why were parking meters not installed during the construction of this airport?   I understand that this is a temporary arrangement, but since we all know that temporary is relative, some necessities need to be in place.

            The poor parking situations at airports make me wonder how we sometimes put our lives on hold for a while, when we only really needed to stop for a few minutes.   How many times have you had those situations in your life when you just needed to stop and pause for a moment, but someone was insisting that you park a while and mull it over?   Is it possible that you may have been pondering over issues and scenarios in your mind for a while, and only needed a brief respite before moving ahead?

            Sometimes those on the outside looking in may think that your world is moving to slowly for them, so they try to nudge forward.   The pushing begins ever so slightly until it practically knocks you over.   The fact of the matter is that we do not all work at the same speed; we do not all process situations and events in our lives the same.

            Of course, roadblocks and obstacles appear from time to time which may hamper us from doing what we have to do; but it is up to us to take a detour if necessary, but keep going.   While this diversion may not be the easiest thing to, it is better than building a completely new life around a situation that was only meant to be temporary.

            Therefore, we need free temporary parking sometimes.   Such parking would not cause us stress and would allow for easier maneuvering through the slosh and quagmire that may be impeding our progress.  

When you think about it, such parking has to be free of monetary charge, because, as MasterCard would say, it is priceless.   You cannot seriously think to put a pecuniary value on your time, especially when it means the difference between you finding direction to your life and you choosing a path that does not lead to your true essence.

This week I challenge you to park on the side if you need to catch your breath.   Continue to steer your course in the direction that fulfills your potential, but do not allow the negative road signs to stop you.   These negative signs can pop up in your home, at work or at school.

Only you alone know how much time you need to process and find your way, so do not allow anyone to put time limits on you.   Your life should not be spent watching the parking meter or looking out for the police officer coming to book you.

Your energy needs to be focused on what you need to do to make you whole.   Some people need only a ten-minute parking break while others may have to remain overnight.   Take your own lead on this one.   You decide if you need to enter, drop off or stop and park for a while.