Mindfulness in the car

Has it ever happened to you that while calmly driving along the road a driver cuts in front of you and it really upsets you? Well, it’s happened to me…several times. I used to lower my window and shout and scream at the person: ”What’s the matter with you?” Then after I yelled I felt annoyed, exhausted and I would enter work in a grumpy mood. That was me in the past. Not realizing at all how much a horrible driver would affect my day emotionally. Now, after years of mindful breathing and creating more of an awareness, my reaction has changed. When someone cuts me off on the road I now breath and I say to myself: ”He’s in a hurry, I wonder what happened? Maybe his wife is having a baby at the hospital and he’s trying to get to her in time before the baby gets delivered. Maybe he realized he left the stove on at home. Who knows what’s going on in other people’s lives. But there’s no sense in taking it personally. Thoughts like :”more than likely he didn’t even realize he cut me off” will pop up more often. What’s important to notice here is that your peace is more important and that driving can be quite a pleasant experience. So there you have it, remember to breath consciously and enjoy your ride to work.