I was entering at the freeway from an onramp when the car behind me suddenly moved to my left, cut me off , and proceeded to enter the freeway in front of me. Of course I was startled and wanted to tell the driver some choice words. I thought about why that person felt the need to have acted in that manner. Why did he need to be first. Many thoughts came into my head but I immediately thought that no one had probably taught that person that not being first is ok, or it’s ok to wait your turn!
So how do we teach our kids to wait their turn, or that it’s ok not to be first even if it’s a laufty goal. Well, we first have to be comfortable with ourselves not being first all the time. With that level of comfort, we can then teach them….
- That no one in life is first all the time and that’s ok
- Its part of our everyday life to not always be the leader
- We can still accomplish our goals even if we are not first
- We can still find something positive out of a negative experience
- In the real world, no one is first all the time
- In the real world, people must learn to take turns
- Being considerate of others is ok
- Its’s empowering when you can handle the discipline of waiting
We may not always know-how to handle negative experiences especially when someone takes our spot, but not being first or winning all the time teaches us about disappointments and how to problem-solve.
I could have given into the rage that was building within me as the other driver cut me off entering the freeway on ramp. I though of how he put my life and that of others at risk, but I had to regroup quickly, assess the situation, realize I was not hurt and carry on being the good driver that I am. After all, I was accelerating at a speed that could have hurt myself and others if I did not remain focused. I breathed and realized that even though I was ahead of this driver, he may have had a really good reason for wanting to get ahead of me. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and tried not to let that experience ruin my day.
Wait your turn, problem-solve, and practice making good choices if you are ever "caught up" in experiences like the one I had.
#Onward &Upward
