Boaz Rauchwerger: Speaker, Trainer, Consultant and Author

Someone asked me the other day how I come up with topics each week for this worldwide newsletter. I explained that all of us are very creative. All we have to do is open our eyes and consider the possibilities. So, to prove a point, I asked her for a topic. The following is what resulted…

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! The pit crew should have taken care of the details, all you have to do is rev up your engine, hit the gas peddle and come out of pit row. All the other cars are going real fast, so be careful. However, you don't want too many to get ahead of you. So, I suggest you floor it!

Watch out for the concrete walls, the dangerous curves and, above all, all those rushing, short-tempered drivers. Who do they think they are to try and get to the finish line a few seconds ahead of you?

Wait a minute. This is not the Indy 500. This is your morning commute to work. Why do we all look at it as if it were a race? Why do we let traffic get us all riled up? Why does it bother us so much when someone cuts us off?

My theory is that every moment we spend getting tense and upset results in us losing a moment at the end of our lives. It's a proven fact that most illnesses are brought on by stress. So why not develop some techniques that can reduce stress in traffic and help us live longer.

Here are some suggestions to make your commute to work more peaceful and more productive. How about giving up two of your wheels? What if you could ride a bike to work? Some people do it. If you don't live close to your work, consider moving. Is your health and emotional well being worth it? I think it is.

Park your car a few blocks from work and walk. Smell the roses. Look at the trees. Say 'hello' to people. Count the birds. Appreciate the sunshine. Get a checkered flag and wave in the winning car as it passes the finish line at your office building.

How about a new college degree from "Commuter College?" Listening to positive audio tapes, whether about attitude or improving your abilities in your chosen profession, can add tremendously to your world of knowledge. Spending an hour a day listening to such tapes can, within a year or two, be the equivalent to getting a college degree. Just think about it. You're a captive audience that is willingly listening to important information. Listen to one set of tapes over and over and over until they become a part of you. You could also learn a foreign language this way.

Want to keep in better touch with friends and relatives? Get a battery-powered cassette player with a microphone. Clip the microphone to your lapel and record audio letters to people. Keep a handy supply of blank tapes in your car. When you're through with each message, drop it in the mail to that person. I guarantee that they will love it. It's such a nice, personal way to communicate in a very rushed world.

When traffic slows down, take a look at your surroundings. Are there any new buildings going up? Are the trees blooming? Let's not be in such a hurry that we miss life. Consider forming a carpool. You'll save energy, save money and you can make some new friends.

Staying calm and peaceful in heavy traffic will get you to work in a better and much more productive mood. By the way, when you're stuck in slow traffic with your kids in the car, that's a great opportunity to show them how mature people handle such situations. After all, you don't want your kids to grow up and become nervous adults, do you?

I recently counseled a CEO that became claustrophobic when heavy traffic would come to a stop or crawl along. One of his goals was to buy a new car. I asked him, when in heavy traffic, to begin noticing the type of vehicles that were around him. To notice their colors, their designs and their interiors. He was to report back to me in a few days with details. He became so interested in the other cars in traffic that he forgot about being claustrophobic. In fact, he spotted his dream car by simply paying attention.

In addition to these ideas, if you feel yourself getting uptight in traffic, simply say the following affirmation and take deep breaths three times: I'm a calm and peaceful person. The body follows the guidance of the mind. You have the power to control your reactions.

So, ladies and gentlemen, stop your emotional engines and slow down your nerves. There are numerous productive things you can do to make your commute easier and more peaceful. In reality, with calmer nerves, you'll perform more productively at work and you'll actually get to the finish line sooner.

A Daily Affirmation of Peacefulness

I focus on being a calm and peaceful person.