One of the reasons I love the Ellen Degeneres show is because she stands for compassion and kindness, ending each of her shows with “Be Kind to One Another.” One of her shows the other day was in response to suicides related to bullying. She talked about her frustrations over how much better the world would be if people simply practiced compassion and kindness. Well today, I experienced how frustrating it is to live in a world where people can be so angry, hateful, and unkind. And it was in as uncommon a place as sitting in traffic on I-93 S.

Don’t get me wrong, I have had my fair share of road rage episodes, but always within the confines of my car, never so anyone can hear me or realize that I’m angry that they are driving too slow when I have somewhere to be. That being said, this blog goes as a lesson for myself too. 
So Kyle and I were sitting in heavy, heavy traffic this afternoon on our way home from the Scooperbowl, an all you can eat ice cream benefit for the Jimmy Fund featuring local ice cream vendors (packing on those calories!). Anyways, we were smack dab in the middle of rush hour and people were at the peak of their anger. First, one guy went out of his way to show his frustration at me while I was trying to merge into traffic. I looked over at his antics, smiled and said “Wow he really wants me to know he’s angry.” Kyle and I decided that hey, we were in good company so we might as well make the best of our ride home because there was nothing we could do about the thousands of other cars trying to get home. I like to think of myself as the queen of handling situations that are beyond my control (cough cough CF). So we blasted the radio, rolled down the windows, and sang along to Old Time Rock and Roll. 
Another lady must have thought that two kids being happy in traffic was far too wrong so she went out of her way to pass me at our 5 mile an hour rate, with her window rolled down, screaming “CAN YOU DRIVE OR WHAT!?” Even though there was no where for me to go given the cars everywhere. People are just so rude. Would you ever say that to someone if you weren’t in the safety of your own car? 
What I realized today is that people can be very mean, and being mean only breeds negativity. Although I laughed it off and had a pleasant ride home despite the road ragers, I couldn’t help but think how sad it is that people actually yell at strangers because of a little (okay A LOT) of traffic. It baffles me to think that people actually let so many small things ruin their day so easily. es, if we were sitting in traffic because the world was about to end…. then maybe their negative behavior would be justified. Having CF has taught me to just go with the flow. When something is out of my control instead of letting it ruin my day, I try to turn it into something positive (hence the Old Time Rock and Roll sing-a-long). That is one of the lessons that I am most grateful for, as I see people every day all in a tizzy over a minor problem (which I wouldn’t even view as a problem). My news feed is FILLED with statuses complaining about nearly everything. We have even gotten to a point that we have to share our unwarranted negativity with hundreds of people. I don’t understand it. 
So if you learn anything from this blog, it’s to take a deep breath next time you are stressed out. First, think about it. Is it really even that big of a problem? Given the fact that MOST people only experience a few major tragedies in their life, most of the time, your small problem may not be as bad as you think. Look at the big picture, think of how much worse it could be, and if at all possible, turn it into something positive. 
Traffic will always exist if you live near a major city. You will get served coffee that isn’t to perfection once and a while. Your hair won’t always look right. You’ll make mistakes. People won’t always act how you want them to. You won’t always get the job, the grade, or the award. Your favorite team won’t always win. You’ll stub a few toes and break a few nails. But at the end of the day, these small problems are nothing compared to the struggles many experience and the tragedies you yourself may face someday or may have already had to face. Real problems define who you are. They teach you something about yourself or life in general. Small “problems” bring out the best or worst of you. You can either treat everything as if it is the end of the world, or you can brush it off and realize that next week, next month, or in the next 5 years, this little thing isn’t going to matter, so why let it ruin your day? And why take your frustration and fill others’ days with negativity? The way I see it, to use a cliche, life is a whole lot easier if you don’t sweat the small stuff. 
http://thesowhatlife.com