One day last week, I noticed one of the treadmills at the gym had an error message on the screen. I pulled the safety cord, hoping it would fix the issue, but nothing happened.
Step two in the “fix something electrical” handbook is simple: turn it off and turn it back on.
So, I did.
The treadmill reset, the error message disappeared, and the normal screen returned.
As I stood there watching it reset, I couldn’t help but think about how often we get error messages in our own lives.
We pull the safety cord, hoping for a quick fix, but nothing changes. When that doesn’t work, we often assume we’re just stuck with the error message.
So we keep moving forward…with the error still flashing.
Then another error shows up.
What do we do? We pull the cord again. Still nothing. Before long, the error messages begin stacking up, making it harder and harder to move forward.
Maybe what we need isn’t another attempt at the same solution.
Maybe we need a reset.
But what does the on/off switch look like in our lives?
Sometimes a reset means stepping away from the problem for a little while. It means taking a breath, changing our perspective, praying, asking for wise counsel, or simply giving ourselves enough space to reset our thoughts before taking action.
When we come back with a clearer mind and a renewed perspective, we often find that what seemed impossible now has a solution.
Not every problem disappears with a reset, but many problems become much more manageable after one.
If we never take time to reset, our life’s error messages continue to pile up until we feel stuck, overwhelmed, and unable to move forward.
My challenge to each of us this week is to identify the error messages you’ve been carrying around. Instead of assuming they’re permanent, ask yourself if what you really need is a reset.
Sometimes the simplest solution is the one we overlook.
Will you hit reset this week?