*CHILL*

I stuck a post-it note in my car that says *CHILL*. It reminds me that I can’t control the bad drivers out there, I can only control my reaction to them.

Life is one big personal renovation. Even in that rare moment when I think I’ve got it all figured out, there’s always some part of me that could be fixed up. In my renovation, being mindful about what I can and cannot control is a long-term project.

It’s like this…

• I can only control what I wear, it’s not up to me if you continue to wear those unsightly late-90’s cargo shorts (kidding! mostly);
• I can only control the way I drive, it’s not up to me if you don’t choose to use your left turn signal in a through lane;
• I can only control what I post on social media, it’s not up to me if you choose to “like” it or not;
• I can only control my own actions and reactions, I cannot control any of yours.

It’s easy to get dissapointed when people don’t react the way we want them to. We let the particulars of our world — where we’re coming from — dominate our ability to understand the particulars of someone else’s world — where they’re coming from.

I get frustrated sometimes too, but I keep trying and I keep learning. Starting small always works best.

I stuck a post-it note in my car that says *CHILL*. It reminds me that I can’t control the bad drivers out there, I can only control my reaction to them. The high blood pressure isn’t worth it, just *CHILL*. And that small seed of mindfulness begins to grow like a flowering vine, blooming and creeping to overtake my reaction to everything from work, to exercise, to Facebook, my health, my friendships, even how I react when my dog won’t stop barking. The anger, the doubt, the anxiety, none of that is worth it, just *CHILL*.

Everybody on this planet is different. The more we learn to be mindful of our reaction to those differences — to be a little more *CHILL* — the more happiness we create, for ourselves and for the world around us.