Not long ago, I was driving to work and another driver caught my attention. She was talking on her phone and tailgating the car in front of her. As I watched, she changed lanes to get a bit further ahead than she had been, and then quickly changed lanes back again. She was weaving in and out of traffic, and dare I say, not being all that safe to those around her. She looked like she was focused on getting to her destination as quickly as possible, no matter the cost.
That morning I happened to be doing things a bit differently. I was sitting in the same traffic, also caring about when I would get to my destination, but generally just hanging out in my lane, happily listening to a podcast and driving along safely.
I would say that this person’s behavior probably got her to her destination a few minutes faster,
but at what cost?
I imagine this woman arrived to her destination harried and stressed out, but hopefully she still arrived safely and didn’t hit anyone in her pursuit of timeliness. All that to shave a few minutes off a commute time. I have to wonder if it was worth it.
I imagine her behavior was driven out of a need to feel control in a tough situation. Traffic is truly stressful, especially when it will delay your day or that of those who may be depending on you.
How could things have changed for her in the moment? She could have paused, realized she was not in control of the traffic, and decided to
focus on what she could control.
She could control being safe, she could control what she chose to focus on in her drive and of course she could control calling ahead to her destination to let them know she would be late. A bit of re-framing and this woman’s entire journey looks different.
Do you ever feel like you’re that lady – rushing through every moment – just frantically trying to get ahead?
If so, stick around. The purpose of Calm For Mommy is to give you more resources to find your calm in your moments, your days, your years. We’ll help you move toward enjoying life, rather than rushing through it.
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