The man never failed to catch the 737 train in the morning.
He always sat in the second carriage from the back,
In the first window seat on the left next to the front door of the carriage.
This way he didn't get blinded by the sun on the way to work.
He was always first out of the door and straight down the stairs that would take him to the bus stop for his next leg of the journey.
On the way home,
He sat in the fourth carriage,
In the first window seat on the right next to the rear door.
He was always first out of the car park and back home in time to watch the next episode of his favourite soap.
He'd been doing this for 25 years.
He was single but not unhappy.
He'd been in love once,
But it never worked out.
He didn't want to get hurt that way again.
One evening,
On a day when he'd heard some sad news about a beloved aunt passing away,
He'd had two extra glasses of whiskey.
His alarm didn't wake him and he overslept.
When his eyes did open,
His digital clock said 7.
37.
He knew he was going to be late for work for the first time in 25 years.
He also knew his boss wouldn't mind,
But he did.
He emailed them to say he'd be on the 8.
37 and that there'd been a death in the family.
He got on the 8.
37 easily and was dismayed to see his usual seat was taken.
He had to sit on the right side of the carriage.
As he sat down,
A very demure and attractive lady said to him,
I've not seen you on this train before.
So breathe in and breathe down.
Each day when we do the same things and think the same thoughts,
It is likely that the same outcomes will ensue.
This is a good thing if you're driving on a familiar route from A to B and you want to get there on time and safely.
However,
If you want something new to occur in your life,
Its chance of turning up is reduced by this strategy.
So for the coming day,
Take some time out to do something different.
Go on a different route to work or change your planned schedule.
Take more time over something than you were planning to do.
Then sit back and notice how a different outcome is reached,
Which counter-intuitively has saved you time,
By taking more time.
