A couple of weeks ago I wrote about my impending trip to NYC. Great trip, my twins saw a Broadway musical for the first time, and we had a nice visit to the American Museum of Natural History that they tolerated reasonably well. I’m always observing human behavior (might be why I found myself helping people heal) and this trip was no different. We took a cab to get to and from a couple of places and I had two very different experiences that really struck me.
Typical NYC Cab Ride
I’ll talk about the second cab ride of the day first. We all pile into the cab and the driver starts our ride by cutting right in to traffic. As we drive, we get behind a car that is hesitating to turn at an intersection. “Bleeping Uber drivers, that’s why they shouldn’t be allowed!” as our cab zooms around the car, making a left turn from the right lane. There’s music going on, the driver is chugging some energy drink and I notice some other broadcast going in the background. I’m in the front seat and I notice the driver looking down into the door handle well, where there is a phone going with a soccer game playing! I grab the “oh, crap” handle and hang on until we get to Penn Station. Fairly typical cab right in the city, no?
Zen Cab
What made the second cab ride all the more remarkable was the contrast to our first cab ride. We get in and the driver is singing, kind of under his breath. A pretty, lifting melody that I couldn’t quite make out the words to, not even sure if he was singing in English. We pull up to a light and have another cab next to us in the right lane. I notice that a car is parked in the right lane ahead of us, past the light. I brace myself for a jack rabbit start when the light turns green so that the cab to the right of us would be cut off and have to merge in behind us. The light turns green and the driver hesitates…yes, he hesitates so the cab next to us could start and easily merge into the lane ahead of us. Huh, did that just happen? The driver continues his melody and then notices that there is construction ahead of us. He very calmly asks me if I would like to take 52nd or 54th instead. Wait, did he just ask me my route preference?? What a nice, peaceful ride.
Stress in The City
The contrast was stark. What it made me think about was how these two different people handled the stress of one of the most harrowing jobs in the world. Was it their upbringing, genetics or life experience that made them handle things so differently? Probably a combination. But what it showed me was that no matter your environment, it does not have to rule how you react to it. Stress, change, joy, sorrow; these things are inevitable, they are part of life. How you respond to and process those events determines how much of an impact they can have on your health and wellbeing.
I have blogged in the past about how much acupuncture can help you deal with stress and how it can help your body process the inevitable ups and downs that you run in to. If you find it hard to be like the Zen cabbie and you find it affects your job, your sleep and even your family, call for a consultation today and we can help you “get on the road” to feeling better!
Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!