One day while I was driving here I was cut off by a sports car that seemed to be speeding and weaving in and out of the lanes. My teeth locked together and my shoulders tensed and what went through my mind is only appropriate on HBO. In that moment I realized how tense I was and likely how out of control that driver was. It made me think of all the cars on the road and how many people were very likely tense in their cars. That simple recognition sparked the beginning of something important. My shoulders dropped a bit and the question arose, “What is it that I’m actually needing right now?” The word “ease” came to mind. So I said…
“May I be at ease…” (Me) “May you be at ease…” (The out of control sports car driver) “May we all be at ease…” (All the drivers on the road)
Doing this simple three-part practice took me less than 30 seconds and rapidly transformed my experience from disconnection and rage into connection and balance. To me, happiness means that I have a rock-solid internal sense that no matter what comes my way, I’m going to be okay. This practice gives me that feeling. It makes me move beyond seeing the other driver as just another jerk on the road (in other words, an object) and instead as a person. It gives me the experience that I’m actually okay. You don’t have to be on the road to test drive this. I strongly suggest giving this a shot when dealing with difficult people. See what you notice.
