The Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia is one of the largest sand deserts in the world and contains sand dunes that are hundreds of feet high.  In between those sand mountains, you frequently encounter large ripples in the wind blown sand called sastrugi.  During one of our trips into the Empty Quarter we created a new motto, “SASTRUGI HAPPENS.”

Sastrugi comes in different forms.  Sometimes the ripples take the form of tiny corrugations that cause the car to shake and rattle as you drive over them.  At other  times the ripples take the form of large corrugations that may be eight to twelve inches tall.  These corrugations can be very hard, but they can also be soft like quicksand.  It’s impossible to look at sastrugi from a distance and tell its consistency.  It could be as hard as a rock or as soft as quicksand.

When you drive through sastrugi, you never know ahead of time what will happen.  Your car may shake violently as you drive over large hard sastrugi, or you may come to an abrupt stop as your car sinks down to the chassis in soft sand.  The reality of the sand dunes is that SASTRUGI HAPPENS.  The reality of life is also the same, SASTRUGI HAPPENS.

When you drive in the sand dunes, you prepare for the sastrugi that lies ahead.  And when you travel through life, you must also prepare for the sastrugi that is certain to occur.

Driving in hard sastrugi at a high speed is traumatic.  It makes both your car and your teeth rattle.  Loose articles in the car become dislodged and fly around.  The car feels and sounds like it’s coming apart.  Hitting a big patch of hard sastrugi at high speed is a bit of a worry.  After you get through it, you get out of your car and check your vehicle to make sure it’s ok.  It usually takes a few minutes to recover from the look your spouse gave you as you raced over the hard sastrugi.

Some people hit a big patch of hard sastrugi on their first trip into the desert, and they never go out into the sand dunes again.  You would have thought they had driven over a landmine.  They are afraid the sastrugi will destroy their car.  They visualize disaster in their minds.  They fantasize that the shock of hitting hard sastrugi will damage their steering, and their car will be stuck in the desert forever.  A large patch of hard sastrugi keeps some people safe at home for the rest of their life.

Excerpt from :

Zero Tolerance To Negative Thinking : Good-by Depression - Hello Positive Mind

David J Abbott M.D.