I've always had a suspicion that how I handle things when I'm behind the wheel is really just a big metaphor for how I handle things in life. After all, I can't really be that upset by someone not letting me merge lanes, can I?!
But I used to get really upset. I used to have "road rage" (boy, I notice the shame come up even typing that).
While I never took any mandated anger management classes or purposely exercised being calmer on the road, over the years I explored my own life patterns and wounds generally. By doing this, the metaphor became more obvious to me...
Whether on the road, on the phone or face-to-face, one thing is really important to me: feeling seen.
Thanks to my childhood containing 4 parental figures whizzing by me as they tended to their own lives and interpersonal dramas, I had a lot of time to practice feeling invisible or, even more painful to type, feeling like I'm not important enough to have my needs considered and/or met.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that being surrounded by fiberglass boxes whizzing around me, cutting me off or blocking my ability to pull out might elicit the same feelings in me.
These days I rarely, if ever, feel upset on the road. And I honestly give Authentic Relating a lot of credit for that. There was space for me to be whatever I was... and maybe for the first time. Even to this day I get to practice feeling seen. And because of that, I feel myself operating from a different, more trusting place, something for which I feel grateful.
So with that, I'll leave you with a question: do you feel seen in life?
With an open heart,
Rachel