Growing up in Provo, I always drove to school in the mornings. Back in 2017, Cougar Boulevard didn’t have a median barrier separating the two directions of traffic. It was extremely convenient—especially when I wanted to grab lunch from some of my favorite spots like Noodles & Company, Mooyah, or Don Joaquin. I could easily head from class straight to food without much hassle.
Later that year, construction began. The city started building a concrete barrier between the left and right sides of the road, which made it impossible to cross all four lanes directly. My days of making quick left turns to Don Joaquin were over. Now, I had to make a U-turn—something my impatient teenage self considered an annoying and unnecessary detour. Most of us high schoolers thought the barrier was just a pointless obstacle keeping us from our end goal.
Fast forward eight years. One Saturday afternoon, I was driving again on Cougar Boulevard and tried to turn left at the same spot where that barrier now stands. I caught myself thinking, “Ugh, I still don’t like this barrier.” Almost instantly, a thought came to my mind: “Isabel, you know these barriers are here to protect people.”
I remembered how often I’d seen or heard about accidents on that street before the barrier existed. Some of those crashes were serious—lives had been lost. The presence of the barrier made a visible difference. That small moment led me to reflect on how often we view barriers in life as annoyances rather than lifesaving structures.
Two key lessons stood out to me:
1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is like that barrier. God has given us commandments not to limit us, but to protect us. Some may view religious rules as controlling or arbitrary, but in reality, they keep us on a steady, safe path. Just like a road divider prevents head-on collisions, the teachings of Christ guide us away from destructive choices and bring peace, purpose, and safety to our lives.
2. Agile structure is a professional barrier that serves a purpose. In project management, especially within Agile frameworks, certain practices—like daily standups or structured sprint planning—can sometimes feel tedious or like obstacles to quick progress. But these “barriers” actually help keep projects on track, foster collaboration, and prevent costly missteps. What feels like a slowdown is often a safeguard.
Barriers, whether spiritual or structural, aren’t always convenient—but they are almost always purposeful. What once frustrated me now reminds me that safety, growth, and progress often come from the things that keep us from taking the “easy” way.