I've been doing much better in regards to not complaining about my morning commute. I have been trying to see it as a precious gift of time in which to listen to God, be in His presence, and just enjoy the quiet rather than listen to music. I have been practising contemplative prayer, slow breathing, and have arrived at work much more relaxed!
This morning, however, a taxi driver ran me off the road in an act of utter rudeness. Before I could catch my breath, two more taxis zoomed past and cut me off. I was angry at the injustice of it and the lack of manners or thought to others' safety. I wanted to shout at them and give them a piece of my mind... and then I stopped myself.
"What are your intentions?" I asked myself. "Well, duh! To let them know that I saw what they did and it wasn't right!"... And then what? Arrive at work all wound up and grumpy about something you have no control over and cannot change? Umm... well, no...
I continued asking myself questions. "How do you want to begin your morning? In what mood do you want to arrive at work?" Rested, peaceful, ready for the busy morning, creating a warm environment filled with hospitality and good smells coming from the oven.
"Okay, then. Can you think of a better choice?" Sigh... Let it go. Refocus on listening, breathing, being. Enjoy the sunrise, be thankful for the gift of another day, and foster a sense of gratitude and contentment.
I have to confess, this was easier said than done, but I found that in questioning my intentions, I could define what was truly important and reset my course. It made a huge difference.
"One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things." - Henry Miller
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
I will make many mistakes in my life. There will be things that I will wish I had done differently. But I want to live in such a way that when I am on my deathbed - be it tonight or fifty years from now - I can honestly say, "I do not regret my journey."
I learned a saying in Afrikaans today that I think is brilliant:
"Ek kan nie help as 'n voël oor my kop vlieg, maar ek kan keer dat hy nes maak op my kop."
Loosely translated, it means, "I can't help that a bird flies over my head, but I can keep it from making a nest in my hair." We may not be able to control everything in life (very little, perhaps!), but we can control our attitudes and responses.
I am preaching to myself here, as I find myself complaining about the morning traffic far too often. On my way home, I was stuck in traffic again. When I finally arrived home, I poured a glass of water, only to find brown water coming out of the tap. Guess what my first response was? Complaining! But here's the thing - far more good things happened today than the three bad things I mentioned. I have a job that I love. I have wonderful colleagues, friends, and teachers. I have good health and a family. I have a working car and a roof over my head. Last but certainly not least, I have a faith that sustains me when the things of this world don't. I should be filled with gratitude rather than complaints!
No more bird nests in my hair!
This morning's commute took 1 hr. 15 min. For all but 8 of those minutes, I was inching along in first or second gear. There were literally only 8 minutes in that whole trip where I got to progress to third or fourth gear (I never did make it fifth, despite the fact that I take the highway to work every day). And I confess, it makes me grumpy. Really grumpy!
I keep telling myself, there are worse things in life. Keep a good perspective; in the grand scheme of things this is really a small matter, right? But the fact is, I LOATHE that morning commute. I love my job, I'm *trying* to sell my house so I won't have to commute, but other than that, it's out of my control. So what does one do when there is an aspect of life that one really, really detests? Because the fact is, while I may not like this drive, I need to accept that it is part of my day and make peace with it.
Enter the random sign. About half way through my commute, I come across this sign every day:
There is no number to phone, there is no vacuum in sight, so... why is it there? Did someone put a vacuum out, free for the taking (and if so, that's a pretty elaborate sign)? It is so random, it makes me smile every day, even though I've seen it multiple times. I've decided to focus on this because - ta da da da! - it is something in the commute that I actually enjoy!
I'm sure all of you have detestable tasks in your lives, so I say to you: find your "Free Vacuum" sign and choose to smile.
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