Friday evening rush hour in Los Angeles is a bad scene. How is it in your area? Friday evening rush hour before a three-day weekend is the worst–stalls, stops, and frustration. We have a choice: rage or relax
On a recent Friday I was on the north side of Los Angeles and needed to get to the South Bay area. I waited until 7 p.m. to begin the journey, thinking the bulk of the traffic would have moved out by then. Most of the drive went smoothly, the 405 (Californians call their freeways, like Interstate 405, “the___) the 405 became a parking lot as it neared the Getty Center which looks down on the highway from a cliff high above. Cars stood shoulder to shoulder on the six-lane highway, crawling forward below a snail’s pace.
Luckily, I remembered an audiotape I’d pulled out of the trunk of the car earlier and popped it into the player. Instant change! Marches played by the London Philharmonic conjured up visions of pomp and ceremony. I turned the volume up. Suddenly my white Mercury Topaz became a gilded coach and the trumpets were clearing the way. From insignificance to importance in a single solid stanza.
It was amazing how the small opening in front of me became majestic–like it opened up just for me– with a black Jaguar on one side, a champagne-colored Mercedes on the other, a white pickup truck behind it, and so it went. Sure, we continued to inch along, but I relaxed as the music transformed my mood from extreme frustration to exuberance. The only things under my control in that sea of cars were my own thoughts and emotions.
What do you do to lift your spirits to a natural high? Do you have a ritual which brings you to a peaceful state of mind? How can you change your attitude in an instant from negative to positive? Perhaps meditating on a favorite quiet place or reflecting on a happy time would help. One of my favorites is a photograph of a field of Blue Bonnet flowers on a river bank. That picture provided an escape from extremely stressful times at my desk in the Pentagon. I could lose myself in it for a moment and gather strength to get back to work.
If we see ourselves as “done onto,” it’s easy to see ourselves as victims of circumstances. Highway gridlock in many large cities is becoming a way of life. Forget rage. Choose to be happy and take charge of our own attitude!
Jo Condrill is an acclaimed author, speaker and consultant. She is the author of “Take Charge of Your Life: Dare to Pursue Your Dreams,” “101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly,” and “From Book Signing to Best Seller.” As a civilian supervisor at the Pentagon, she received the highest civilian award one can achieve, the US Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service. Jo shares her unique experiences in seminars and speeches on leadership, team building, personal development, and success strategies. http://www.goalminds.com/primer.html