Today my family, all 17 of us, went hiking in the French Alps. An adventure that included scaling cliffs via semi-sketchy ladders, snow fields, mountain goats, and lot of rock hopping. Although we didn’t make it to the ‘peak’ (thanks to an overall lack of preparedness and an unusual amount of snow), we did manage to all get down in one piece in relatively good spirits. Albeit some, including myself, via a scenic and less intense tram ride.

On the drive back Genevieve, our trusty GPS, decided to forgo the highway in favor of a more scenic route. As we turned and twisted through the mountains we enjoyed the beautiful scenery. But, before long, we came to a slow crawl behind a tour bus. Rather than enjoying the view we were distracted by the looming mass of a bus that seemed to just barely make it around each bend, the back wheels teetering dangerously close to the edge of the road.

While we did end up losing the bus and getting on our merry way, it did leave an impact. We are all, at different times in our lives, blind to the beauty and potential around us. This is often because something, whether it is a bad relationship, an unhappy work situation, or a slow moving tour bus, distracts us.

When the passing lane presents itself shift gears, speed up, and get back in the game.