This Must Be What Matthew McConaughey Feels Like…An Ode To “Bad Drivers”

I Had A Truly Amazing, Kind Of Out-Of-Body Experience The Other Day While Driving; I Channeled My Inner Matthew McConaughey. 

And to be clear, I didn’t even know I had an “inner Matthew McConoughey!” I realized it when I finally started to figure out how to channel my positive energy a bit better. But we’ll get to that in a minute. Alright, alright, alright? First, I want to talk about all the bad drivers out there running amok. You know, pretty much everyone other than me, the one writing, or you, the one reading, these mildly passive-aggressive ramblings.

Riiiiggghhhht.

There’s Always The Chance That I’m Merely Getting Worse At Controlling The Emergence Of My Inner Grumpy Old Man

That said, I choose to believe the proliferation of handheld devices and decline of personal responsibility might be to blame for some of the excess asshattery I’ve been witnessing on the roads lately. It’s actually one of the reasons I’ve grown more and more fond of good public transportation; I don’t take my well-being into my own hands each time.

In the past I must admit that I’ve been likely to allow myself to believe other’s egregious transgressions upon my personal transit space were actually directed towards me.

I would assume that someone cutting me off, paying attention to their phone and edging into my lane, or so on, was a direct attack upon my person. Luckily for my stress level, blood pressure, and things in between, that has changed a bit recently. Let me explain why.

Bad Drivers In The U.S. Actually Aren’t Really That Bad

The first thing I’ll happily say is that travel has opened my eyes, just as it should, to my tunnel vision. See, if you’ve only traveled to a few cities, or only within the US, you’ve got a very small sample set. You don’t know what you don’t know, as they say. The first few times I traveled internationally it was quite eye-opening. I saw, what was by my judgment, road warriors committing obvious crimes against the asphalt.

Whipping in and out of lanes, no signals, tailgating, hell, even driving on the wrong side of the road. Well, maybe scratch that last one.

But what I quickly realized is that there was much less gnashing of teeth and blaring horns, or even visible aggression from driver to driver. This is simply how it is, and there is nothing odd about it in those particular places. Take Mexico City for instance. I remember the time I got into a van with a bunch of total strangers, with the only local driving, and zipped in and out of traffic on Av. Paseo de la Reforma. I was scared sh*tless…but nobody else was. It was business as usual.

Other voyages have opened my eyes to the reality that what I deemed good or bad driving had come from a very small segment. It was very much limited by my own ignorance in the truest sense of the word. Now when I’m back home in the US I’m able to realize that someone cutting me off, or certain other idiosyncratic nuances, may merely be a product of another upbringing or caused by those different circumstances.

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Pick Your Pleasure: Positive Energy vs. Negative

Another interesting thing happened when I was listening to my most current version of verbal crack cocaine for my brain. The book “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” by Dr. Joe Dispenza blew my mind. I literally started listening to the book one day and finished it the next day, aided by a long drive from Michigan to North Carolina.

The book is about some super nerdy sh*t like Quantum Fields, positive energy vs negative, visualization, and all sorts of self-help from a science standpoint. 

It was hella well-written so that even a Neanderthal like myself could understand really tricky science.

One Of The Early Concepts Dispenza Discussed Was The First Law Of Thermodynamics

Also known as the Law of Conservation of Energy, it states that: Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another.

… In other words, energy cannot be created or destroyed.

He then went on to explain, essentially, that we’re given a choice to use the energy that our body has at its disposal in two ways. The first is to control it and be calm, allowing our body to channel that energy in a positive way, towards good things. Alternatively, we can get all stressed the fuck out, let our hearts race, veins protrude, and channel energy towards more destructive use.

It’s kind of like using the Force for Good or Evil, Luke (…or Leia…)

Then An Amazing Thing Happened, I Channeled My Inner Matthew Mcconaughey…

I sh*t you not. This actually went down.

Another one of those nasty, me first, get out of my way drivers had their way with me. But that’s when my newfound knowledge about my energy choices took hold. I had consciously told myself that raging on the roads was truly a misuse of my energy and totally not good for my body/mind. This was my first chance to give change a chance and use the Force for good.

I took a deep breath, then told myself “that person isn’t out to get you; they likely don’t even realize you exist, so choose to channel that energy in a positive way.”

It was at that moment that it happened…

I actually heard Mishka island music in my head and felt a light feeling rush over me, coinciding with my energetical victory.

Then I thought to myself,
“this must be what Matthew McConaughey feels like.”

That is no joke. It’s exactly how it went down. Pure crazy-ass mind magic right there my friend!

So How Are You Choosing To Channel Your Energy?

There you go. It’s an interesting thing that happened. I mean, not the total “Alright, alright, alright” part, but just the general feeling of calm that I was able to channel by not choosing to let my energy turn sour. I’m gonna continue to work on this, as it’s definitely something that takes concentration and awareness. My awareness of roadway frustrations doesn’t go away, just the way I choose to react to it.

So will you be doing the same with your next chance to pick the flavor of your energy? Maybe this isn’t your thing. Maybe you think it’s not worth attempting to channel your energy…

…but It would be cooler if you did… 

Noochies.

— Jason