Driving - Don't Sweat it - Let it Go!
These days there are more bad or inconsiderate drivers
than ever. People don't pay attention to driving laws, they
don't pay attention to right of way, and they are more
aggressive and dangerous. When you encounter these
drivers (and certainly you do nearly every day), how do
you react?
When you are driving through an intersection and have
the right of way at a stop sign that is on a road you are
driving by, do you see the driver look to see if he can
beat you into the intersection, and instead of stopping,
he accelerates? I seriously think people don't know what
a stop sign means (it means you must come to a full,
non-rolling wheel stop, then look to see if it's safe to
go) - they seem to think it means "I need to beat that
oncoming car out into the intersection before he gets
here!"
When you want to change lanes and put your turning
lights on, but more cars pull into the space you need,
and don't let you in, how do you feel? Does anyone
know what to do in a 4-way stop? Do cars go more
than one at a time, and not in the correct rotation?
What do you do when you are caught at a 4-way stop?
If you are one of the people who drives carelessly, you
really need to figure out why you feel you need to drive
this way, why you need to be first, why you need to cut
people off, why you need to be aggressive. Try to drive
more aware and courteously, following driving laws.
If you are constantly running late, leave earlier. If you
are on a power trip, find a way to take that negative
energy and use it where it's productive (perhaps you
should be in management and crisis situations).
If you are stressed out, try to listen to a book on tape,
or play soothing music (perhaps a Christian station for
uplifting message). Don't worry about anything - calm
down. If you miss an exit, so what? Just drive further to
the next one and correct your path - you might find some
scenery you didn't see before. Try to look at the scenery
any time you drive and thank God for his creations - can
you see mountains in the distance, or the trees newly
blooming in spring, or trees turning beautiful colors in the
fall? Turn your car trip into a relaxing self awareness
time to reflect - and use it to calm down, not to stress out.
If you run into a bad driver, don't encourage the road rage,
let it go. Don't act out yourself, either - don't flip people
off, or honk incessantly (but do honk to sound a warning
if there might be a collision), or shake your fist. Just tell
yourself quickly that he made a dumb move, or say a
positive statement or prayer for that person, then let it go.
Why ruin your day to keep your driving episodes in your
mind for any longer? Why let that driver or episode take
control of your mood? Don't give it that kind of power -
just shrug it off and get over it. It will be better for you,
and better for the other drivers you will encounter.
Driving should not be so stressful - just drive with more
awareness and keep calm - you can't change other people,
but you can change the way you drive, and the way you
react to them. Let it go….
~~~~~~~
Pauliina Roe tries to drive lawfully, and not let the other
drivers get to her. She gives relaxation tips at
http://abetterlife.net/relax.htm - find out how to keep
your life in better synch.
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