On Sunday during the CPR course, we talked about what causes strokes. Stress is a big one. We all have stress in our lives, and some of it is okay, but much of it is not. Many people also create more stress by how they deal with it. For me, yoga and exercise are key. But when an incident occurs (often this is a driver behaving recklessly and endangering my life), the instant reaction is important. In my twenties and thirties, I would swear, flip the bird, and remain angry and indignant for hours afterwards. I took thing like this personally. First off, the driver wasn't cutting off Allison, they were cutting off a cyclist. Secondly, my reaction made me more upset.
Stephen Covey, in his wonderful leadership books, reminds us that while we do not always have control over things that happen to us, we have freedom to react how we want. It takes practice, but I have learned, for the most part, to shrug it off. I don't know what that person may be going through - perhaps they are racing to the hospital. And if they are just a jerk, well, I'm glad I'm not like that, and I won't let it ruin my day. This has made me a MUCH calmer person.
By the way, this has helped me maintain a VERY healthy blood pressure and heart rate, which is part of the reason I look like I'm in my thirties, not nearly 42😃
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