I had to recently apply for a Learners License. Yes, after driving around with a valid license for close to two decades, I had to applying for an LL . No, I have not relocated to a new country. The reason is interesting and I will blog about it sometime.
Today, I want to write about some striking similarities that I noticed (while preparing for the test)  between being at the steering wheel of a car and being at the steering wheel of life itself.

• There are three types of symbols in both the cases:
  The informative symbols that give us an idea about what lies ahead. This is easily recognizable but unless we are receptive, we may not register it in our mind. An example would be, when we are hungry we will not miss the restaurant sign.  In life, we come across so many such informative symbols in the form of various wise people whom we meet. It is just a matter of us being hungry for knowledge to recognize them and make use of their wisdom.
  The cautionary symbols that caution us about the kind the road ahead. The hair pin bends, the slippery roads, the steep ascent , descent etc. I would like to compare it with the calculated risks that we take in our life. We are cautious but don’t stop driving because there is a steep descent or ascent ahead. Likewise, we don’t stop moving ahead in life just because we anticipate ups and downs.  We probably change gears and be prepared for that ride.
  The mandatory symbols are the speed limit , “entry prohibited”, “no parking” symbols etc. They have to be obeyed and there are no two ways about it. Breaking it can lead to immediate repercussions in the form of an accident or a ticket. There are a lot of such rules in our life which we know cannot be debated about. This can vary from paying taxes on time to leading a healthy lifestyle to saving some money for the rainy days. Not following them will definitely land us in trouble.
• No matter how well we perform at the LL test, the actual test is when we get on the roads. Similarly no matter how much we read, preach and advice, our action is what really matters. 
• There are umpteen factors that contribute to safe driving. Some that are in our control and some that are not. A speeding driver from the other side can cause a severe accident for no fault of ours. There is nothing that we can do to control the other driver. We can only make sure that we are in complete control of our car at all times so that we can take the corrective measures to avoid a serious collision. Similarly there is nothing that we can do about the type of people that are around us. We can only mind our business and move on. 
• Presence of mind, alertness, proper judgement, obeying all the traffic rules etc can make a good driver. There could be some unexpected curves and bumps ahead. The impact of these can be reduced to a large extend by a good driver. The same holds good in our life as well. 
• Another important quality of a  good driver is that he/she takes good care of the vehicle. Regular maintenance of the vehicle is extremely important for a smooth drive. Likewise unless we take good care of our body and mind, our drive on this road of life is bound to be bumpy and noisy. Take care of your Vehicle.

I love the song “Enjoy The Ride” by Krewella and it is always in the playlist during long drives. It says :
‘Cause if it’s fast or slow all I really know
Is I’m gonna enjoy the ride
And if it’s hard or soft before we get off
I’m gonna enjoy the ride
Enjoy the ride
I would sum up the entire experience of getting a fresh LL as quite a humbling one. When I came out with a pass mark , I did not have any qualms about having to go through the entire process again.
Have a Safe and Comfortable Journey fellow drivers….
Enjoy The Ride!

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