Lately, I’ve been a wee bit obsessed with finding a new old train for this year’s Christmas tree. I’ve got in my head the vision of having a vintage yet functional electric train choo-choo-ing its way around and around and through the gifts under the tree this year.

As a child, I had a trainset that was given to me from a friend of my parents. A man named Merrill that I have zero recollection of. I remember his name only because its written (presumably in his own handwriting) in faded black marker on the box that contains all the train pieces that I currently have in our closet. By the way, when I open that box, it smells like my childhood. (Isn’t it weird how smells connect us to memories? What smells triggers memories for you?)

Anyway, of all the pieces of track I’ve had in my possession, one of my favorite pieces is the rerailer track. If you’ve ever seen a model train running, you may not have even ever noticed it among the other pieces. It’s typically disguised in a railroad crossing. It’s a critical piece of any set, and it’s what I want to talk to you about briefly today.

We’re likely all familar with the term “derailed”. It’s an ominous word that almost always indicates something has gone wrong. A project gets derailed, a relationship gets derailed, a business deal gets derailed, or in any other way, forward motion hits derailment and things are severely hindered.

Is there any derailment in your life right now? What has gone awry? What isn’t sitting as squarely as you’d like? What remains not just undone but unhealthy? When a model train derails, its obvious. It’s noisy. It’s bumpy. Likewise, when I ask you “Is there any derailment in your life?” you don’t have to guess. You know. It’s noisy. It’s bumpy. It’s obvious.

The bigger question then is where is your rerailer? What does (will) it take to get those wheels back on track? What resets your mind, your attention, your priorities, your heart on what’s healthiest, most important, and most effective in the mission of your life and who you are?

Come back another time for my personal list of rerailers, the things that always get me mind and heart back to where they should be. But for now, what works for you? Use the comment section below, send me an email, or shoot me a text.