Friday, December 16, 2011

Don't Mess with My World

I was running a few errands the other day and was leaving a parking lot. As I turned onto the main street, I saw a drink cup fly out of the window of the car in front of me. Being the "save the world and recycle" kind of girl that I am, I was appalled and considered getting out of my car to pick up the cup and give it back to the driver. I figured I would just be left standing in the road with a paper cup as the offending driver drove off ahead of me. So, I gave up on that thought.

It turned out that we were both stopped at the next light side by side, with her to my right. My convertible top and windows were down and her window was open. So tempting, so so tempting. I just had to say something (being the "say what's on your mind" kind of girl that I am!) and so I did. "Please don't throw trash out your window" I said in a polite tone. She yelled back "Did you see me throw trash out my window?". "Yes, I did.", I replied. And she continued yelling all sorts of things back at me - including "mind your own business!". "It is my business. You are messing up my world", I replied. I felt sorry for the three kids in the car and only hoped they would see that throwing the trash out the window was wrong, not that their mom going ballistic was right. Maybe the driver would stop and think next time before she threw something out her window. I can only hope. It ended peacefully and I am still alive. She rolled her window up and I considered making a u-turn and going back to pick up the cup.

I think it is important to speak up when things are not right. It is not always the easy thing to do but sometimes it is the only way to get things to change for the better. Let people know things are not ok.

I occasionally give out cards to my yoga students. There are three questions on the card -

1. What am I doing that you like and want me to keep doing?
2. What am I doing that you don't like and want me to stop doing?
3. What am I not doing that you would like me to start doing?

They said there wasn't anything they wanted me to stop doing. I guess things are all right - at least in my yoga world.

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