Being a mom of teenagers who play sports, I spend a lot of time in the car. I pick up, drop off, wait... and wait and wait. My time in the car allows me to observe other drivers. Rarely do I see a smile on someone’s face. More times than not I see a middle finger, a “what the heck” gesture, or a furious shaking of the head.
Traffic gets messy. Communication gets messy. Our world becomes messy.
I know you can relate. We have so much coming at us all day long, so much “messiness,” that it can feel overwhelming. We can get lost in it all, and, even worse, begin to get mixed in with it.
I don’t want to contribute to the messiness out there. So what does that mean for me?
Not only does it mean refraining from acting out amidst the fray of traffic, but I think it requires getting into a calm and clear mindset before hitting the road. Taking time to get in touch with your values before heading out for the day. Starting the day with a deep breath, opening the chest, and being mindful of the blessings a new day brings. Throughout the day, make pit stops along the way and check yourself. Have a cup of coffee with a friend. Spend some time in nature. Recalibrate. Ask yourself: where can I bring beauty into this messy world? Maybe it means creating art. Maybe it means looking at art and reflecting on it. Maybe it means simply noticing any good at all.
When you rise above the messiness and embrace a positive mindset, you start to see the good in people. For example, I see the quiet interaction between my family members. It’s those moments we recognize that the hard work and positivity that we pour into our family and personal lives is becoming something that is growing on its own and spreading more beauty, more good, more joy.
So let us fight messiness by creating beauty. And if that’s too much to ask today, if today is one of “those days,” I urge you to fight messiness by simply creating space. The good will come, and it will rise above.
