How's your day going? I was going along mindlessly, happily driving at the speed limit and came up behind others who wanted to take life a little slower. Not happy, I thought to myself wanting to go around them but couldn't because they were blissfully unaware of me. At that point in time, my road (life) merged with the lives of two others who couldn't care less about my path!
It's at times like these that we are faced with choices, relax into the slower moment or get really frustrated and tail gate, toot the horn, flash the lights and be aggressive. Today I chose the first option but many fellow drivers took the other. The roads are fast moving, (matching our lives) and it is so easy to put the foot down, so persuasive to match that speed and aggression instead of moving into the slower lane and relaxing into safety mode.
Life might not be going according to our plan on the roads today but we are always in control of our feelings, behaviour, appearance, anger levels.
Relax for a moment, breathe and take the time to think of how you have reacted to life on the roads today (to life itself). What has predominated, anger or peace or joy? Thankfully today mine is peaceful, but that is not all days.
Recognizing the difference between an annoyance or inconvenience on the roads and a bona-fide reason to get angry is so important to good health and well-being. I can't even think of a good reason to be angry on the road (car parks maybe another thing though).
"Anger is not a behaviour, it is a feeling - a very potent feeling!"
Somebody hurting you, or hurting somebody you care for, having experienced someone or thing, damaging your property are all good reasons to get angry. Anger in such situations alerts you to take action to remove the threat.
Anger can give you the energy to call for help, fight back if you need to, or to make changes to reduce the fire in the situation (and if need be it may motivate you to seek redress rather than be left feeling like a victim).
Somebody “disrespecting” you however, or getting in your way, slowing you down, being luckier than you, or doing something better than you, are not reasonable causes of anger. They are just life’s mirror giving you concrete evidence of the changes you need to make in your life.
Things can annoy us into looking at ourselves if only we could see it that way. It does feel uncomfortable or embarrassing and you may feel angry at feeling that way but own that; they are your feelings. Let the road be smooth!
How you behave does not have to be with anger, because you would be just acting out in the same manner as they gave you. Someone disrespecting you would indicate that you are feeling sensitive and vulnerable inside, notice a ring of truth in that? The disrespect on their part is their problem so don’t make it yours by reacting in the same manner. Clear your mind
Have a think about it later, talk it over with a friend and you may find an inner issue you would like to work on and be glad you didn't react angrily.
"Things annoying you or getting in your way are just life's little road blocks sent to help you change direction."
We all have bad days, but life is hurry hurry hurry quick quick quick and isn't it so persuasive? We have our path set for the day and we want to go full steam ahead at 100 kph and yet up ahead, people are going slow and it can be so frustrating. At that very moment, the path is shared and you have to ask are you really in that much of a hurry? Yep sometimes I am in that much of a hurry, but other drivers show me the error of my ways.
We can get so caught up in that way of being and it can make our intolerance levels go from 0 to 10 in the blink of an eye, but we can change that, why not begin today?
I started off by asking you how are you feeling so now you have had time to reflect, are you angry or have you had a few roadblocks today? Take a deep breath, back away in your mind and ask “Am I really angry?
If you've got a problem with someone, don't hold it inside, discuss it with a friend or counsellor so you can clarify your thoughts, you've got nothing to lose and a lot to gain. But on the roads, take care, slow down and don't let go of your inner peace for anyone or anything.
And now are you brave enough to carry on the conversation and tell others how you are managing anger on the roads?
Or tell us how you are projecting peace as you drive? How do you do that and stay alert?
Take care now, WendyJoy xx