“DETOUR AHEAD” reads the sign on my route to work. This road, IN 26, has been closed for the past six months due to ongoing construction. It now takes me an hour to get to work instead of the usual 45 minutes. Unfortunately, it also means I lose 15 minutes of sleep every day. Not a big deal, right? I call this type of detour a nuisance detour. In all fairness, there was ample notice of the road construction and detour. But what happens when we face significant detours in life? More often than not, we do not get a forewarning! How do we prepare to turn right or turn left when the path forward is blocked?
A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. One day, she was fine, and the next day, she received this devastating news. Yes, in real life, we don’t often receive advanced notice of detours. Yet, this much we know – there are detours ahead! Some will be minor nuisance detours, while others can be devastating. Therefore, knowing that detours in life are just a matter of time, how do you prepare for them? What should you do during the detour? How do you maintain your sanity when life throws you a curveball?
While we don’t pray for detours in life, we need to be mentally prepared to deal with setbacks. These detours can literarily knock you down flat and result in mental and physical illness. In reality, your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. Therefore, while we exercise to improve our health and physical bodies, we also need to strengthen our inner minds.
Why do we experience detours?
We grow and mature during our detours. Going through detours helps to mold and shape us, so we develop more depth and stamina. During our detours, we learn to show gratitude and drop our entitlement mentality.
The pottery process best describes our detours. A lump of clay, though inherently valuable, is practically useless to the ordinary eye. Only potters will look at a lump of clay twice, and that is because they know what they can create with it. After removing the impurities, the clay must be shaped, molded, and put through the fire. Eventually, the clay becomes valuable and beautiful items that are pleasing to the eye. Consider this; you are a lump of clay with concealed potential. No matter how precious you are now, you still possess some hidden treasures.
Therefore, we should not retreat from our detours. Instead, we should accept them, knowing that they will make us more mature, productive, valuable, and beautiful. However, how do you embrace such a difficult season? How do you practically pass through fire and embrace it? I will be the first to tell you that it is not an easy process. But, let’s think it through. You will pass through difficult seasons anyway. And most times, you will not have a say in the matter. Here are your options; you can pass through with your head held high, knowing that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Or, you can choose to be gloomy, sad, and accomplish nothing during your transit. Eventually, when you get to the end of the tunnel, would you prefer to get there empty-handed or fully enriched and ready for the next leg of your journey?
3 things you need to know about detours
1) Detours are a part of life!
Detours will happen, whether we like it or not. Detours are as constant as birth and death. Everyone has had a change of plans at one point or another. We have all encountered setbacks in life and have had to take a detour.
2) Detours serve a purpose!
Detours are times for growth, increase, and maturation. They are not a punishment for your perceived wrongdoings. Instead, they prepare you for a larger purpose. You are not on a detour by accident. Remember, a garden always looks more beautiful after it’s trimmed and pruned.
3) Detours will soon end!
Know that your destination is at hand. Detours are no derailments. You have not accidentally gone off track. You are just taking a different path to get to the same destination.
6 things to do during your detour
1) Embrace the detour
Have faith and trust the process. Stay calm, positive, and at peace. Believe that all things are working together for your good because doing so activates the power of positive thinking. Research shows that positive thinking enhances mental health and well-being. Therefore, start to think more positively. Acknowledge that your detour is happening for a reason and that you will come out of it a better version of yourself.
2) Express gratitude
Your detour is the time to count your blessings and name them one by one. You don’t have to focus on the detour and its effects and disruptions on your life. For example, rather than focusing on my extra 15 minutes drive, I chose to be grateful for good roads, a suitable vehicle, family, friends, good health, being alive, and on and on. All in all, my detour became inconsequential amidst all my blessings.
3) Invest your time
So, you are passing through a detour and have some extra time on your hands. What do you do with that spare time? Invest it! Time is one of the most significant investments you can make. So, find ways to invest your extra time. For my additional 15 minutes’ drive, I listen to audiobooks and podcasts, reconnect with friends, and so much more. A friend fractured her foot last year and used her rehabilitation time to complete her doctorate program. I know many people who took advantage of the pandemic to learn new skills, start new businesses, or take a much-needed rest. In summary, your detour should not be time wasted. Use that time to discover new and better ways of doing things.
4) Forget the past
Your detour is not the time to agonize over how perfect things were in the past. Instead, you should focus on the present and how you can make the best of your current situation. Agonizing over “what could have been” reduces your energy to handle “what is now!” When my route was first closed, I would complain about doing everything 15 minutes earlier than I used to. I soon realized that I was literarily crying over spilled milk! So I had to talk myself out of that whining mode. After that, I discovered that having an extra 15 productive minutes a day is not such a terrible thing.
5) Avoid comparisons
No matter how similar our lives may be, we each have our detours. At the detour on my route, some choose to make a right while others make a left. I usually make a left, but once, I decided to make a right. Though we were all going in the same direction, I found out that our destinations were different. I still got to my destination, but it took me longer. Here’s the thing! No two people have the exact same story! Therefore, avoid comparing your journey to someone else’s. Since my experimentation, I have stuck to the left turn at my detour.
6) Rejoice always
Activate your smile, rejoice, and be happy, even during your detour. Smiling is therapeutic. Research shows that smiling lowers your heart rate and can help you deal with stress. Smile at your delays because, eventually, you will get to your destination a stronger person. If you have lost your joy and cannot find your smile, please practice these affirmations daily. And eventually, your smile will reappear!
Final thoughts
What happens after your detour ends?
Just today, my detour ended. I got to the exact spot with the detour sign, and the road was clear. My journey now lasts forty minutes instead of forty-five because the road is now broader and smoother. The newly installed guard rails offer additional protection against driving into the roadside ditches – A regular occurrence if you are familiar with IN 26.
At the end of your detour, your results will become more visible. You will be able to see how the detour served you and pushed you towards your purpose. Celebrate the end of your detour, then get back on that horse with the new wisdom and strength you now possess and ride that horse with renewed vigor. Because guess what? There is another detour ahead!
Have you experienced, or are you currently experiencing, a detour? What has helped you navigate your detours successfully? Please feel free to share your comments below.
Yours in health and fitness
Doctor Abi
