I love traffic. I really do. And let me tell you, it's pretty simple to love traffic, too.
I can also easily hate traffic. I can be pissed off at the congestion and the cars moving too slowly. I can stare at the clock and focus on how much time I am losing as I am inching along on the highway. I can be that rude driver who ignores the other cars at a four way stop and cut corners with the belief that my time is more valuable than others. I can boil up my anger during my commute and release my frustration to other innocent people. I can choose to be a stressed out, angry driver.
But, that's not the life I want to live. I don't want to be unhappy when I have a choice to be happy. Perhaps it's that I'm calm by nature or that I've been through a series of life events at young age to know traffic is not the worst thing that can happen in life. It is not even remotely the worst thing that can happen in my day.
I choose to love traffic and embrace it. I choose to use the time to play some of my favorite tunes and think about what I want to accomplish in my day. On my drive home, I love to reflect on the best part of the day and how thankful I am to be alive. I choose to use the time to call my parents, loved ones, and catch up with my friends. I choose to use my commute as a karaoke dance party. I choose to smile at angry drivers and hope they will find some happiness in their commute. I choose to look at traffic as a beautiful time to just de-stress and be at peace.
We are not put in traffic against our will. In fact, we get in our cars and make the conscious decision to get into a moving vehicle at certain times of our day. We decide to either drive dangerously or safely. That is our choice.
It is also our choice to learn how to react to situations like traffic. We can be anxious and pissed off or we can be nervous and excited. We can be mean to each other or we can be kind to each other. We can choose to help or shut people out.
Life is filled with a series of choices. I prefer to make choices that make me calm and bring some more kindness into the world. I choose to love traffic. I hope you do, too.