Took a taxi ride today and learned a valuable lesson. Its amazing what people have to teach if we are just open enough to learn.

I got in the cab and told the driver my destination and he started driving. Our enlightening conversation started with him commenting that he had just made an illegal u-turn in order to get my business. According to him, he had been driving around for an hour without being able to find a passenger. This situation, in his books, was because of the peak hour surcharge that had just been doubled by the taxi company. He said it made finding passengers very difficult.

I asked him how long he drives in a day. 12 hours and earning barely enough to pay his expenses was the answer. Even with driving fast and working long hours, he just was not getting enough to even consider having children. (I think he was wondering how we could afford 3!)

The taxi companies were unreasonable in hiring so many taxis to ply the roads. They were completely profit-minded as they earned (according to him) $2.5 million every day in taxi rentals but failed to consider the welfare of their drivers.

The passengers were unreasonable because they kept complaining that there was not enough taxis. The government was unreasonable in allowing taxi companies to hire even more taxis.

Are you getting the picture? The taxi driver continued venting his frustrations and disappointments about everything and anything - taxi companies, passengers, the government, his old boss, his old company, army medic, army commander - the list went on and on and so did my trip.

Mid way through his rant, something struck me. Usually I would get really annoyed with a person like him and tell him to shut up. This time, however, I was smiling and thinking how negative and destructive his mind set was. How I was glad that I had learned to keep a more positive mindset by using my affirmations and changing my negative thought patterns on a regular basis.

Instead of choosing to blame the whole wide world for my problems, I choose to accept that I cannot change and work on the things I can. There is really no point in thinking that your problems were caused by everyone else around you. That will only hinder you as you work towards a successful life.

I think its a timely reminder to look back on the words of the Serenity Prayer and really put them into practice in your life.

by Reinhold Niebuhr

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.