The other day, I tripped in my office/dressing room on the sling for my arm I’ve been wearing since my shoulder surgery. I took the sling off to change my clothes and put it on the floor. I went to unplug my phone from charging, turned around, took a few steps, not looking at the floor, and down I went! My ankle twisted on the plastic connector for the sling, and I hit the floor with my knees and instinctively put out my left arm to break the fall (my right arm not quite six weeks out of surgery), and my head whacked into the door.

I yelped out and prayed I was okay and that there were no more injuries or problems! My husband ran upstairs to see what happened. I was so fearful that I really hurt myself. I had ice packs on me, and he calmed me down, saying it happens to all of us when we take our eyes off the ground and something is in the way. He also said to think of the lesson. I learned a valuable lesson to never leave anything on the floor that could pose a trip hazard. I was warned, thankfully. I’m sore today, but I’m okay.

My thoughts went to If I weren’t wearing this sling, this wouldn’t have happened! I blamed the size of this house, the fact that I was wearing a sling, and my life situation for the fall.

As I write this, I realize how destructive those thoughts were because it was just an accident, and things happen. But it made me realize that the reason why I fell was that I was rushing. And when we rush, it feels like we have lost control.

Are we driving the bus?

I wasn’t always driving my bus.  I allowed myself to be a passenger for many different drivers. The lesson was that I was a bystander in my own life, feeling powerless to effect any meaningful change.

Wow.

For all of us who aren’t driving the bus, it’s okay to remove the current driver, thank them for their service, and then take a seat in the driver’s seat. We need to be driving.

I know it’s scary to get behind that big wheel, navigate through the streets of life, and figure out where we’re going, but only we know how to be happy. It’s just a matter of trusting and believing in ourselves.

Those who have given up and prefer to sit in the back of the bus, letting someone else ride them around, are missing out on a better quality of life. If you want the easy way out, depending on other people for your happiness, you will be disappointed and hurt. That’s not a happy life.

Living a better life is challenging.

Only when we have a vision of a better life for ourselves and then put in the effort to get it will we live that life.  And, yes, I know that the many distractions of today’s social media can make us feel good in the moment, but too much of that distraction can keep us from getting behind the wheel and being productive in our lives.

It happens to me. I get sucked into scrolling on social media, and an hour goes by that feels like minutes. Then I feel bad that I wasted time looking at things that either distract me from my goals (like watching someone making food on a Facebook reel) and sneakily make me feel overwhelmed about what I need to do, have, and make. It’s exhausting!

The idea for this blog is simple:

What we put into our lives, we get back. That is the law of life.

You can’t expect others to know what’s best for you and do it for you. Get them out of the driver’s seat! Take charge of your life! It’s okay to let people know what we like and who we are, and to ask for help if we need it. Ultimately, we are the caretakers of our own lives, and it’s never too late to take over the driving duties.

Thank you for reading. How do you want to better your life? Please share in the comments. I’d love to engage with a community of like-minded folks who want to better their lives.

To Driving the bus,

Francesca

 

Created by a human for humans.

 

© 2025 FrancescaME | All rights reserved.