Life Lessons from Riding the Train (part 2)

Recently, I spent 3 weeks in Korea. This time, I was alone on this trip and to top it all, the hotel booked for me is far from the office, not the usual walking distance as it was from previous trips. This time around, I had no choice but to take the subway. (Well, actually, I can take the taxi…but it would be much more expensive). But it proved to be a good experience after all. I learned more life lessons, this time from taking the subway.

1. Plan your route.
• It pays to plan.  I have two maps: one map of Seoul downtown and another map for subway stations. First, I plan where to go (using the Seoul map) and plot what stations to take (using the subway map).
• In life, we also need to determine first where we want to go. Use as many reference (map) as we can, then plot steps on how to get there.
2. You will never discover new places unless you have the courage to go out of the usual routine.
• At first, I was too afraid to take a different route. I stayed with the usual route which works. Because the last time I tried a different path, I spent almost 1 hour walking in circles. But then again, I thought I will never go places if I stayed in one route, so I tried again. True enough, I was able to go to more places and enjoyed new sights.
• In life, if we want to go ‘places’, we should not be afraid to take different paths towards our goals. We should, however, be prepared to accept failed paths and try again, not losing heart.                       
3. You have to hold on to the pole.

• Inside the train, there are times when I need to stand throughout the journey. In order not to fall down, I hold on to the pole.
• In life, we need to hold on to the One Pole (God) to be firm throughout  the journey. We can’t hold on to another passenger (another person) as he/she may fail us and we will stumble. If there are barriers (people) blocking our way to the pole, we just need to be firm on our stance.
4. The path may seem less travelled but it does not necessarily mean it’s the wrong path.

• Taking the unfamiliar subway and exits, oftentimes,  I am tempted to just follow the path where most people go. But looking at the signage, it is pointing me to a different, unlikely direction. And when I finally followed the sign, it was the right path after all.
• In life, we must learn to decipher the correct path to take not by appearances, and especially not because of by popular choice. It must be based on a solid reference, something more reliable.
5. You have to know where you are, to be able to know where you’re going.

• Getting off the train in an unfamiliar station, the first thing I looked for is a map.  Once I find it, I look for that red dot that says “You are here”. From there, I plot my steps towards the correct exit number to take.
• In life, we have to know where we are first, to know where and how far we need to go to reach our destination. Likewise, we have to check where we are from time to time to know whether we are still on track to reaching our goal.

Getting Directions

by Grace Madrinan

How many times have you called on God to help you, yet have refused to obey His commandments?

I am supposed to meet my Korean friend for dinner. When we talked on the phone, we were trying to figure out a good place to meet. Since my mobile phone is not working in Korea, it should be somewhere familiar so I would not get lost. Then she said, "How about Myeongdong Cathedral?" I don't think she is Catholic, so I was delighted that she was the one who recommended.

I agreed although I don't exactly know how to get there. I have this idea of what route to take it so I have to give it a shot. On my way to the church, it's almost dark by then, I am supposed to take a right turn based on the usual route I know. But there's a voice in me that says, "No, just go straight ahead". I looked around and most of the crowd are turning right yet there I was crossing the street straight ahead as if I knew where I am going. As I walked further, there's fewer people and I am beginning to feel that it may not be the right path. Then there's a voice again, it says, " Look up!" When I looked up, I saw a big cross behind the tall buildings further across thw street. So I continued to walk towards it, although I still have doubts that it might be a different church after all. But as I come closer and closer, it all became clearer. It was indeed the church! The route I took was the shorter route. What could have taken me an hour on the usual longer route and busy streets, took me only 20 mins just by following 'the voice'.

I know it may sound like a simple case of following instincts, but I definitely learn something. In searching for the right direction, I just have to listen, obey, look up and follow the cross :)

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