1

How to turn Road Rage into Compassion

[quote]“Great Spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his moccasins.”  Native American proverb[/quote]

Years ago, my friend Carol stopped at a gas station while driving through Oklahoma.

Just as her car was approaching the pump, she was cut off by a big RV that pulled in ahead of her.

Carol was pissed and found another pump.

When she went inside to pay, the woman who had cut her off was standing in front of her in line and Carol resolved to give her a dirty look when she turned around.

But Carol’s world was turned upside down when she heard the woman say to the cashier,

“Would you please pray for me?  I was on vacation with my husband and he died of a heart attack.  I have to drive our RV home and I don’t even know how to put gas in the tank.”

Carol was shocked, touched and, most of all, humbled.

Give the benefit of the doubt

I know that, for myself, driving is the most likely scenario for the worst of me to come out.

How many times have we been angered when someone seemingly does something selfish or inconsiderate?  Drives too slow, drives too fast, cuts us off?

Yet perhaps their distracted actions were the result of just having had a death in the family, gotten a cancer diagnosis, been fired, or had their house foreclosed on.

We can never know the pain in someone else’s heart.

So try to remember that we are all related.  If you see someone having a hard time, send them love, or say a prayer.

Let’s all vow to give our fellow humans the benefit of the doubt.

Learn to change road rage into road compassion and let our humanity shine.

[quote] “Be the change you want to see in the world.”  Gandhi[/quote]

 

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

 

 

• 
• 
• 
• 
•