Shucks! I Ran The Red Light…

I ran the red light.

It’s peak hour. Early morning. Light’s green. Bottle-neck. Car turns slowly. Suddenly, driver comes out of nowhere and cuts me off. Oh, I’m going to be late. Late for meeting. Late for work. Disappointed. Angry. GreenLight changes. Turns orange. About to turn red. Late for work. Unnecessary delays. I hastened to not let that light catch me. But then it did …because of the irresponsibility and carelessness of others.

I drove through angrily!

Reflection

Oh what did I do?

Then I started thinking that for sure I am going to have to pay the penalty charge for running-a-red light. The slow driver. The driver that cut me off. None of them will have to pay. Just me. I began thinking… is it worth it? Is it worth it to react in a moment of delay? In a moment of impatience? Just to get to meeting/work on time?

My Practice

It’s my practice to urge my girls and others to be careful on the road. To be patient. To exercise that patience. Yet I ended up doing the exact same thing. I am thankful that I did not have an accident. So often it is the same reaction that causes serious accidents. But I got lucky. Even though I knew better, I did not act accordingly.

Pursuit of Goals and Dreams

How often does that happen to us in the pursuit of our goals. For me it was the distance to get to my meeting/work. For you it may be goals such as further studies, marriage, starting a family, purchasing a car, house, career change, or other. Then things go awry and we think twice. In some cases we give up.

Today, I encourage you to never give up. Hold on. Be strong. Keep going. You will be glad you did. Need help? Lets connect

Cheers!

Author: Dr. Shelly

Dr. Shelly Cameron is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and author of 12 nonfiction books, including The GreenLight Factor and Success Strategies of Caribbean American Leaders. She is the creator of the GreenLight Leadership Framework and founder of Global Coaching Corner. She leads the Ignite Caribbean 30 Under 30 Emerging Leaders program. Drawing on over 20 years of global HR leadership experience, she's passionate about helping professionals navigate change and design fulfilling lives through intentional goal setting and self-discovery. Her research was published in the JAABC Business Journal, and she was a featured author for the 2026 Africana Arts & Humanities Festival's 250th celebration. 🎉 A thank-you: SuccessfulLeaders.net just crossed 100,000 views! Grateful for every reader who's made this milestone possible. View all posts by Dr. Shelly