As a driver, the time of most uncertainty is when approaching a yellow light. I never know how long they are going to be because they all vary in length. I fear that I’ll be caught by a camera or police officer if I’m a millisecond to late. Even a stop sign would be better because it’s clearer; without guessing, I know that I have to come to a full stop.

I’ve never been ticketed for running a red light because I don’t hesitate. I’ve set my mind in advance that I’m going to go for it. I think we make more mistakes when we hesitate or do things half-heartedly. Our judgment is based on our risk preference. A person who is cautious will always stop; they play by all of the rules and never stray into the grey areas. A person that is risk-loving will always go; their commitment minimizes hesitation and conveys a confidence that their decision is justified.

We all have yellow lights in our lives. They come in the form of major decisions, major crisis, life transitions, and unforeseen life obstacles. There are intersections in life that we’re not sure whether we should stop at, push through, or judge in the moment. Yellow lights are meant to slow us down at these intersections. It is not the yellow light that slows us down; the yellow light represents fear. The only way to overcome fear is to run through the very thing that we fear; slowing down only lengthens the yellow light (or period of fear).

In life, the lights are not synchronized. Do what everyone else does and end up where everyone else ends up. Playing it safe gets us nowhere. At some point, we will all be faced with yellow lights in life. If you are clear about your destination and purpose, don’t allow yellow lights or fear to slow you down. Push through! What is your yellow light policy? Have you predetermined that you’re going to:
A. Always, stop
B. Play it by eye
C. Always, push through

Being able to anticipate fear and have a pre-determined strategy to deal with it will make your life more fruitful and less average.

Live purposefully!