I got a traffic ticket this week. Ugh!! It’s my first one in over 20 years and it stings. Apparently I came to a rolling stop about two hundred yards from my home on a street I drive everyday. The nice officer who pulled me over told me I needed to come to a stop for 2 seconds, which I did not do.

She called it a “full stop” and it made me think.

I’m guilty of not coming to a complete stop in so many areas of my life. I coast from one thing to the next- rolling from work to taking care of my husband, kids, dogs and my home, to helping my mom and others and spending time with friends…. I rarely come to a full stop. I don’t say that with a badge of honor, I say that with an appreciation for what the universe just reminded me.

I need to slow down and make more full stops. Small, but frequent ones.

What does that look like? It means offering space to listen to the events of the day and what has been happening within me. It means inserting full stops to my thinking process to avoid the potential of completely overwhelming myself with too many thoughts. It means more simple moments, unplugging and downtime. It means remembering that the most important thing in my whole day is the rest I take between two deep breaths.

It’s interesting — I’m coming to a full-full stop at every stop sign now. Like four seconds. I don’t want another ticket so I’m taking no chances. Cruising at a different pace, I’m seeing how pretty some of the yards are, how the trees are starting to blossom and what a beautiful neighborhood I live in. I’m more aware and less distracted. I’m more mindful to pay attention to my surroundings, what lies ahead and where I am going.

No one likes getting a ticket, it’s an expensive lesson. But life works like that, giving us reminders in subtle ways. My life is full of amazing blessings and wonderful people but if I don’t give myself small full stops, I won’t notice or appreciate them. And that cost is way more expensive than a ticket.