Have you ever been in the car with someone who rides the brakes? The car lurches forward only to come to an immediate halt. There’s usually no need for this, they could just take their foot off the gas and coast for a bit, and yet, it seems they can’t help themselves.
It can be disorienting at best, even worse is when your stomach joins in on the lurching and you casually crack a window to get some air to calm your stomach. What the driver fails to see is the importance of momentum. Rather than ride the brakes, they could be building momentum and continue to move forward.
Likewise, something good happens to you, you can use it to build momentum and create more good things, more forward motion. Unfortunately, a lot of people pump the breaks to slow down and enjoy the good thing without realizing they are compromising their growth. Here’s the thing – momentum creates more momentum.
The next time you come up against an obstacle or roadblock, and you struggle to see the solution, resist the urge to hit the brakes. Instead of hitting the brakes, you need to learn how to coast off the momentum you have already created. Then when you make it through whatever obstacle, you can hit the gas to speed right on through. You can use that momentum to build.
Do you know what it is that forces you to hit the brakes?
There may be a multitude of reasons, but the number one driver of brake usage is fear. Your fear is holding you back, forcing your foot to push the brake pedal and it is your fear that is preventing you from moving forward in personal growth.
That fear could be your hesitance to experience actual pain or risking a real bodily injury. It also might be a fear of emotional pain – such as wanting to propose to your partner but being afraid of rejection.
Or it could be the fear of failure, another form of emotional pain. You are scared to keep your foot on the gas because you may fall flat on your face and if that happens then the people in your life, family, friends, co-workers, etc., may see you fail.
You may fear that if the people around you see you fail, they may lose trust in you, they may laugh at you, they may lose respect for you, they may leave your life, they may not want to work with you… whoa, why go to the extreme? As you pump the brakes anticipating the worst-case outcome, you lose all the momentum you have previously built. So instead, you drive through life with the brakes on and you can’t figure out why you’re going anywhere.
Of course, you may also be tempted to pump the brakes as you enter a period of uncertainty. When you are brimming with confidence, you are naturally going to move faster. However, you should believe in yourself enough to maintain your speed regardless of the circumstances in your life. You should reach a point where it’s comfortable to engage cruise control and sit back and enjoy the view as you take advantage of the momentum already created and the growth you are pursuing.
Sometimes, you have to commit to the speed of your momentum. The brakes are there as a safety precaution when you need them, not to make you feel better when you’re scared or feeling uncertain. You have to power through those moments, stop hitting the brakes, and start growing. Life is for living and you won’t grow through it and thrive until you learn how to use your momentum positively.
