by BRUCE DOWNES on 31 August 2010

Two weeks ago I was driving in the Florida in the USA on their massive freeways that crisscross the country, with flyovers going in all directions, on the other side of the road, sitting on the other side of the car and driving at a heart pumping 70 mph (112 kph).

Rosemary had not slept well, so she was dozing fitfully in the seat beside me.

I had a destination in mind. I had loaded it into the GPS and was driving accordingly. Every so often this woman (who seems to travel with me around the world) instructs me on what turns to take. She does not have an attractive voice. She is quite cold and calculating really. She reminds me of a school principal I once knew, 'heartless but effective'. Thankfully I had other Principals who were wonderful.

"In point-two miles take interstate 94 on the right and then keep left," the lady in the GPS would say.

Every time my GPS spoke her instructions Rosemary would stir.

I can do this without her speaking to me, I thought.

With Rosemary trying to sleep I decided to turn off the sound and just navigate by the map directions as they came up on the screen, glancing at it as I drove on the other side of the road, sitting on the other side of car driving, on these huge freeways, with fly overs going everywhere at 70mph.

Well it was not too long before I missed the first turn. The GPS quickly re-calculated: "Drive another 7 miles and take the exit on the left on freeway I75."

Without her voice and not getting the reminders and being more used to driving in kilometres I kept missing the turns.

"Drive another 4 miles and take the next right exit."

I missed it again.

I was completely lost but I still held onto the thought that if I could just turn around I would get to where I was trying to go.

I saw an airport sign and before I knew it I was on the Arrivals circuit at Fort Lauderdale International Airport! I was 30 minutes away from where I was meant to be.

Everyone was picking people up and I was just going through the airport.

Rosemary woke about this time and said "why are we at the airport?"

All I could say was "Rosemary, it is because I love you."

Go into any book store in Australia or the USA and in the management, leadership, self improvement section you will find books by John Maxwell. He says leadership is influence.

More or less sophisticated but equally effective definitions encourage us to look behind us to see if we have any followers; because if we don't we are just out for a walk.

I want to talk about the hardest type of leadership of all: SELF LEADERSHIP.

The truth is that it can be easy to tell others what to do or where to go, but telling ourselves is a whole other matter.

Have you noticed how easy it is to tell others what to do and yet you do not listen to your own advice?

Have you noticed how we judge others for what they do and yet we do the same?

I have come to understand that in life, it is not what our intentions are that dictate whether we are successful or not.

What dictates our success is what road we are on. Good intentions, while noble, do not take us to our destination. What road we are on does.

For example:

• Many people want to have a great marriage, but then spend too much time at work.
• Others want to see and be involved in their grand children's lives, but they eat the wrong food and don't exercise enough.
• Some people want great results in their study, but they watch too much television.

Your road determines your destination, not your intentions.

The principle in Scripture is clear, what you sow is what you reap.

How many people do you know who have credit card debt up to their nostrils, not because of what they had to have, but what they wanted.

When I missed the turn on the freeway, I went to a destination I did not even want or need to go to.

What road are you on?

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