Managing Road Rage
Road rage is completely avoidable. It does not visit us like the weather or hold us hostage. We can mitigate road rage. All we need to do is make a choice and follow it up with a commitment and daily action plan. We focus on ourselves and our perceptions. Like a good risk manager, if something is predictable then it is preventable.
To change our perceptions we agree to this premise. We will no longer take anything personally. Aggressive or distracted drivers are simply living their lives. We cannot control their actions but we do have power and control over our lives. We are not interested in engaging in any type of "one up" or diminishing behavior that escalates an incident. We will accept that once we are in traffic we are no longer in a protected environment. Where there is no protection there is risk. Like it or not, that is our world.
Each day, prior to leaving our homes, we set aside time for meditation and daily preparation. That time becomes non negotiable. We spend most of that time clearing our minds. We spend at least five minutes visually preparing and focusing on the things we need to do emotionally that day. Developing a plan for how we are going to see the world. We will act rather than react. Traffic is going to be a part of that day. We give ourselves plenty of time to drive to work with built in time cushions to keep our stress levels down. We are aware that cars may switch lanes uncomfortably close, tail gate, or pull out in front of us. Perhaps we will be involved in a collision. This becomes part of our mental preparations for each day. Part of that preparation involves our steadfast refusal to perceive ourselves as victims. We will let other drivers drive anyway they want to. We have no control over that and it serves no useful purpose to let it upset us. We don't allow ourselves to get angry or let that influence any part of our day. We gain complete and utter recognition and control of our ego. We will accept responsibility for our emotions and actions.
When traffic incidents occur, we are prepared for them. They have already been emotionally risk managed.
We use the same mental preparation with working relationships and personal relationships. We take nothing personally. The same traffic routine occurs on the way home. We are emotionally prepared for it. Deadlines can be broken. Those things, those silly deadlines we create in our heads, translate to anger or frustration if we cannot keep our commitments on time. So those things also become part of our daily preparation. We break them or rearrange them as needed.
With daily preparation, there are still times when we feel a little twinge of anger which is fine. But we have recognition of it now and it can be quickly harnessed and easily managed. By default we practice patience, tolerance, and understanding in traffic. By applying this plan repetitively each day, we find that it works. We are emotionally prepared. All this plan requires is a conscious choice and a commitment to risk manage something that as it turns out and unfortunately, is common and predictable.
