Tame the Rage

Radical #2: No Road Rage:  Okay, well not really road rage.  Today my radical driving changes included 1. Obey the speed limit and 2. Honor all blinkers.  While yes I have succumbed to road rage a handful of times, I don’t think this would characterize my typical driving habit.  Also, to be clear I am not some speed demon facing suspension of my license – I haven’t had a speeding ticket in almost 4 years and I’ve never been in an accident.  But what I am is an inconsiderate driver obsessed with finding the most efficient path to my destination.  The result is tense, semi-aggressive driving as I anticipate other drivers’ moves, look out for cops, and try to keep my speed just under my perceived threshold of “speeding ticket fast” where I justifying my speed as “going with the flow of traffic” or “it’s an open road in front of me, what harm is that?”. 

As I ask myself why I drive this way the answer I come up with is selfishness.  It’s more important to me that I get where I want to go quickly than let someone else in front of me in case they drive too slowly or leave too much room in between the next car.  But honestly, how much time am I really saving with these tactics?  What am I really accomplishing?

I’m happy to say that I had no trouble abiding by my radical today. (Which makes me wonder if it truly was a “radical” change pushing me outside of my comfort zone?)  It did not negatively impact my commute time and I arrived relatively relaxed and ready to go.  At the same time success was not too difficult today as I did not spend too much time driving– just to and from work, a total of 30 miles round trip on what turned out to be a relatively light traffic day.  So in the spirit of the radical revolution I’m looking for I’m going to implement this radical all week.

Quick update on day #2 of No TV: It’s shocking how programmed I have become to come home and turn on the TV.  As soon as I closed my front door it was the first thing that popped in my mind (of course immediately following that thought was remembering my new rule).  On the flip side, I was looking forward to writing my blog entry for today.

Preview of Radical #3:  Pay a genuine compliment to everyone I talk to without using the word “I”

Starting My Revolution

I’ve never written a blog before.  It’s only been in the last six months or so that I thought I may have something worth writing about and now that it’s the beginning of the year it seems all the more appropriate to actually follow through with this idea.  My plan, for the next 40 days is to do something “radical” every day—which I will from now on refer to as my radicals—as steps to “revolutionize” my life.  

The definition of revolution: a sudden, complete or marked change in something.  The purpose behind this “revolution” is to step out of my comfort zone and do things I think I should be doing or have been impressed by other people doing,  I hope this will positively impact not only me, but the people around me –either through the act of these radicals or through this blog.  

A few ground rules before I get started.  I will have a new radical everyday for 40 days.  I will not necessarily be continuing the radical from the day before.  (I considered taking a build-on approach, to maintain each new radical for the remaining period, but for fear of failing and/or forgetting I will stick to focusing on one thing each day unless otherwise specified.  If it sticks beyond that day, then so be it.)  

I can’t promise to post reflections every day, but I will post at least weekly.  So this means there will at the very least be 6 posts and at most 40.  I will however post what my radical for each day was, how I implemented it, and any reactions or reflections I have on that. 

Also, I can’t promise that what is radical to me will be radical to everyone else—perhaps some of these things will be normal to you.  If this is already a part of your daily life, than I applaud you—these are things that I aspire to and are not necessarily easy for me to undertake.

I have not come up with all 40 things ahead of time.  I have a vague idea of some things I’d like to try and concepts of things I’d like to implement, but have not compiled a list of 40.  That being said, I think I’d be open to suggestions, although can’t promise I will implement them. 

I will try to keep my posts short, sweet and to the point for ease of reading.  I know my attention span is short and assume the same for others.

Lastly, I welcome comments, but please keep them constructive.  This is my personal journey that I am choosing to share in a public forum and while I’m open to criticism and questions, I just ask that they be in a mature, constructive way.

Thanks for reading.

Radical #1:  Eliminate TV:  I realized over the last few months that I spend a substantial amount of time watching TV—and not even “good” TV, but crappy reality TV—with the excuse it is background noise as I eat dinner, except it has my full attention well beyond dinner.  As part of my revolution I have decided to spend this time previously wasted on TV more constructively and to fill my mind with more edifying things.  This is the one radical I intend to maintain for the duration of the 40 day revolution and beyond.  In its place, I plan to write my blog entries, read books, volunteer, cook, call my grandmothers, straighten the house, etc.  Furthermore, I will try not to replace it with equally mind-numbing things like excessive time on Facebook and on-line games (which I am not quite willing to give up completely at this point…maybe for one day, but not 40).  

I’m not going to lie, day 1 and I’m already fighting the urge to turn it on.  So of course, I have to ask myself why?  After some reflection and if I’m being honest with myself the answer is I’m lonely.  Don’t get me wrong, I have friends and what I consider to be a healthy, balanced social life.  But at the end of the day when I come home and am winding down before bed and it’s just me, the house seems deafeningly quiet and lonely.  The TV keeps me company for those last few hours before going to bed.  Truth is, I should easily be able to fill this time (and my head) with more beneficial things.  Day 1 slightly difficult, but successful.