I’ve known for a while that my mood is a good indicator of how much I can rely on my intuition. I can now use my morning commute as both a diagnostic tool and a way to improve my mood if needed…
We’ve recently moved offices, and my commute has changed from 5 minutes to 25, now going through a very congested town centre. This is still taking some getting used to.
I find my reactions to the inevitable disruptions varies. If find myself getting emotionally angry, I’m probably not in a good place generally, and hence should be cautious of my intuition. So it is a good diagnostic. But I also get opportunities to life my mood and sense of connection, so when I get into work I’m more “on”.
One technique is to let people out at junctions. A simple act of unprompted generosity improves everyone’s morning experience. Hopefully it gives us both a nudge in the right direction for the rest of the day.
A more involved technique is changing how I view a situation, seeking to appreciate those involved.
For example this morning, a lorry had started unloading and was blocking one lane – at a time of day when no loading is allowed (presumably to stop lorries blocking the road!). Five minutes of crawling traffic was ample time for me to start plotting ways of making sure the driver knew he was an idiot. Not hugely proud of myself, but there you go.
When I got to the lorry, it was a middle aged man who was clearly just trying his best. He was quite probably there at that time of day because he was told to, and it was completely unfair of me to judge him as a person because of it.
Then I got to wondering what it was like for him, feeling all the negative emotions directed at him. If he’s got any level of empathic sensitivity, it would be deeply unpleasant for him. What a way to start your day, feeling utterly miserable.
By viewing a that person with compassion, I got myself from a bad mood to a more positive from of mind.
If I can do my morning commute feeling happy and appreciating those around me, I know I’m in a good place and can rely on my intuition. If I’m cross, there are plenty of opportunities to lift my mood. It works really well.
I’m also struck by how miserable it must be for the workmen who have to inconvenience others as they do their job. All that negative emotional energy must really get them down. Even if you don’t believe in energy, the expressions on people’s faces as they drive by must be unhelpful. So next time you pass one, smile at them! 🙂