My son recently got his permit, and I haven’t found driving with him all that pleasurable. There is a pit in my stomach as we pass cars parked on the side of the road, and I feel too close to them. I fell anxious as he makes turns and comes to a cross section that even I find hard to maneuver. I am told that one day, that feeling will leave, but for now, it’s here, and it really looks like it’s his driving that is making me uncomfortable.
So what is the connection between my mind and the car my son is driving? They both work only one way. The car is designed to speed up when the accelerator is pressed. It is also designed to slow down once you take your foot off of the accelerator. It will never work to step on the accelerator and expect it to slow down. If you falsely believe that will happen, you may find yourself in a car accident (G-d forbid).
So too, my mind is designed to speed up when I believe my experience is coming from something other than Thought in the moment (i.e.: my son’s driving). It is also designed to slow down once I am aligned with the truth of where my experience is coming from (Thought, and only Thought, even though his driving really seems to have something to do with my discomfort). It will never work to blame your circumstances and expect your mind to slow down. If you falsely believe that will happen, you may find your mind racing as you get controlling.
Sometimes I am gifted to see how it works clearly, and I know my anxiousness is coming from my thinking about his driving. At other times, I am in the false belief that my anxiousness is coming directly from his driving. One is not right or wrong, but if you know how something works, you are more likely to benefit from that knowledge. (That knowledge has been helpful for our relationship as he’s been learning to drive!)
