We’ve all noticed that light.
It comes on and we immediately start negotiating with it.
“Let’s see if it goes away.”
“Maybe it’s nothing.”
“We’ll see how it is tomorrow.”
Tomorrow.
That’s our favorite word when something needs attention. So we park the car, head inside, and forget all about it. The next morning everything seems fine. The light isn’t on. The drive to work is smooth.
“See? It was nothing.”
Then traffic hits. Five miles an hour. Stop. Go. Stop. Go… And there it is again. Now you’re nervous. Not here. Not now. Not in the middle lane during rush hour.
But the truth is… The light didn’t just come on. It came back on. It warned you yesterday. You just decided tomorrow would be a better day to deal with it. Funny how we do that with everything.
“Damn car.”
“Damn knee.”
“Damn job.”
“Damn marriage.”
“Damn coworker.”
“Damn coach.”
“Damn kids.”
Maybe.
Or maybe the light came on weeks ago. Sometimes it’s a nagging pain that won’t quite go away. Sometimes it’s shorter conversations with your spouse. Sometimes your kid stops telling you about their day. Sometimes your team gets quieter in meetings. Sometimes work becomes something you survive instead of something you enjoy.
Rarely do things fall apart without warning. The warning lights usually come first. The question is whether we’ll acknowledge them.
Cars need maintenance. So do relationships. So do cultures. So do our bodies. So do our minds.
Maintenance is almost always cheaper than repair… And repair is almost always cheaper than replacement.
Don’t wait until you’re stranded on the side of the road wondering what happened. You already know what happened. The light came on. The only question is whether you’ll check under the hood… or tell yourself, one more time,
“We’ll see how it is tomorrow.”