You’re going to think this is really weird.  But, sometimes, W E I R D, works very well. 

Over the years, as I have my head shrunk to the size of a small, green pea, I have come to embrace my eccentricities;  filing them under “OH WELL…WHAT-THE-HELL”.   Life has gotten a lot more fun.  I hope, whatever is bubbling around in you will feel free to come out and play with me.

Which brings me to traffic. And……one of my daily “tricks for a life well-lived”.   TRICKS and TRAFFIC would not seem to go together but that’s the thing about committing to seeing the lessons and blessings in our every day “moving abouts”.  You can retrieve meaning and metaphors from anything. 

So, some days, as I am running  from this thing to that—-especially the days when I feel breathless and stressed to make it all come together, I use STOP! signs to help me.  They are right there anyway.  They are saying “STOP!” in no uncertain terms.  What a golden opportunity!

So, now……..I actually STOP! and…..breathe—-rather than rolling up to the sign and barely grazing the brake, so I can continue to charge into the rest of my life…..I…..s-t-o-p.  It’s a chance to move beyond the obvious reason the signs are standing on the corner, to the not so obvious—having a nano-moment of gratitude for the literal role they play in my safety, to becoming more conscious of the breath I am taking, and to slow down internally.

Also, I ask myself—-”Is there anything you need to STOP! doing….STOP! worrying about…..and let go of?  “Is there any negative thing you are telling yourself that you need to STOP!?” 

Now, this is not about holding up traffic.  No one is behind me honking, because I have ground to a meditative halt—I am talking, let this flashcard through you.  No need to 411 the Dalai Lama.  This is about a swift, shift of internal gears.

The same game gets played with ONE WAY signs.  Once again, there are lots of them in the area where we live—-so, it seems like a great idea not only to pay attention to them, so you won’t come face to face with a wild-eyed driver, headed the opposite direction—-but also to use them as a metaphorical check-in.  I ask myself,   ”Am I only seeing ONE WAY to do_________(whatever situation I am trying to figure out)?”    Or, “Am I being stubborn?  Is there anything where I am exercisng controlling behavior—MY way or the highway?” 

You could get really crazy with this, depending on where you live.  SOFT SHOULDER—-could turn into something like, “Am I being truly compassionate with myself or someone else?”  or, ”Do I need a shoulder to cry on right now?” or, “What makes it so hard for me to be vulnerable?” 

 BRIDGE could become—”What/Who do I need to connect with?” or “What do I need to do to get from where I am to where I want to be?”  By the time you get across, the answer may have popped into your head.

You get the picture. 

People will see you smiling and laughing, alone in your car……and steer very clear of you.  They will think you are being distracted by some humorous call on your cell phone.  But no.  You will be on life’s highway, just enjoying the ride.  And, you will never see a STOP! sign the same way again.