VN September 2023

Vetnuus | September 2023 30 I hope this article finds you and your families well and safe!!! Last month we discussed the concept of how everything that is happening around us reflects our thoughts, feelings, wishes and actions. If we entertain distorted thoughts, and, at some level, we are all aware that they are distorted indeed, we need to correct them and align them with the truth. This month we look at racing through life! Here is a story: A remarkably successful and very young businessperson was driving his brand-new Ferrari down a neighbourhood street when he noticed a child darting out from between the parked cars on one side of the street. He managed to slow down in time as the child appeared near it, and a hard object smashed into his car’s door. He immediately slammed on the brakes and drove back to the place where the object had been thrown. He soon realised that it was a brick that had been thrown at his car and smashed onto the outside of his door. The young executive was understandably terribly upset and jumped out of his vehicle, caught the nearest child to his car and started shouting, “What was that about? What have you done to my car? Why did you do this to my car?”The child in the executive’s grasp was a young boy who was surprisingly only a little scared but seemed very polite and genuinely apologetic. “I am very sorry, sir! I was very scared, and I did not know what else to do,” he pleaded with the businessperson. “I had to throw the brick because no one else would stop to my desperate call for help.” The young boy started to cry uncontrollably and almost seemed embarrassed by the fact. With tears rolling down his cheeks, he pointed towards the parked cars on the one side of the street and said,“My poor brother, he rolled off the curb and fell off his wheelchair, and he is badly hurt. I am not strong enough. I cannot pick him up.” The sobbing boy battled to speak but managed to compose himself enough and asked the driver of the car, “Would you please help me get my brother back into his wheelchair? My brother is hurting, and he is too heavy for me.” The young executive became emotional and was moved beyond words; he tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Then, he suddenly realised the urgency of the situation and he hurriedly lifted the other young boy’s brother from the spot on the road where he fell and gently put him back in the wheelchair. In addition, he also grabbed the first aid kit from his car and helped the younger boy by cleaning and treating his bruises and cuts. After spending some time speaking to both the children and calming down, the young executive returned to his damaged car. “Thank you, sir, and God bless you,” said the grateful younger brother. The young executive was so surprised and taken aback by the young boy’s gratitude, and he was too shaken up to respond. Instead, he stood there motionless as he watched the little boy pushing his older brother in the wheelchair down the sidewalk. The executive became extremely thoughtful, and as a result, it was a long and slow ride back to his home. Upon reaching his destination, he switched off his engine and climbed out of the vehicle. He walked around the car to the side that was struck by the brick and spent quite some time staring at his dented car door. The damage was very noticeable, but he did not bother to repair it and was not feeling any form of anger or frustration anymore. Instead, he chose to keep the dent in his door as a reminder of the message - “Do not go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.” Life continuously whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes, when we do not listen to it, it throws a brick at us. It is our choice whether to listen out for life’s whispers or to wait for the brick to strike us. It can be difficult to do sometimes when we get caught up in life’s vortex of activities and thoughts. It takes a conscious effort to remain attentive and listen actively. Take time to quieten your mind and listen. Next month, we will continue looking at more ideas for improving our quality of life and overall performance both at work and at home. v Influential Life Coaching THE BRICK THAT STOPPED THE FERRARI Dr Mats Abatzidis B.Sc. B.V.Sc. New Insights Certified VIP Life Coach mats.abatzidis@yahoo.co.za Founder of Influential Life Coaching http://www.matsaba.wix.com/drmatscoach Author of the published book“Life outside your comfort zone. Better and beyond all expectations”. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref =nb_sb_noss?url=search- alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Abatzidis http://www.life-coach-directory.co.za/mats-abatzidis Vet's Health I Life Coaching