Rave: Want to Rant? Today it feels better to rave

Yesterday, and today, for the first time I can recall, I went immediately from waking into my meditation before doing anything else. This isn't my normal way of doing things. But the effects of changing this routine are fabulous.

At the end of the previous night when I was thinking about what to blog about, it was a rant, a rant that I know I will come to back about our oppressive health care system.

That all changed when I changed up the morning. Before I started on this particular new routine, meditating would start after a few other morning activities. It's always centering and my mind gets calmer and my focus is clearer.

But when I started with the meditation I'd like to think it was my clarity causing me to shift my priorities.

Later in the early morning, my husband and I headed out to a car show with each of our favorite collector car, our Ferrari. Now you might be thinking something wildly pleasant. I mean most people do when they think something like, a Ferrari. 

Really, sometimes my whole demeanor changes just walking down into the garage and sitting in it.

But at times, for me being in a Ferrari is energy draining and I was feeling this might be the case today.

Car shows, if you haven't ever attended, have crowds of people and all kinds of activities. Sometimes I'm just not up for that.

As I felt myself worrying about being out in a crowd a good deal of the day, I decided to act on the part of the meditation that I am learning. Since my driving wouldn't happen until the return trip, it was easy to do the next part. I paid attention to my feeling, and just noted was it pleasant, unpleasant or neutral?

I didn't dive into the feeling, I didn't ignore it or resist it, I just acknowledged it, then accepted it: it was unpleasant.

Something remarkable happened.

I began to feel better about the day. I wasn't thinking about the crowd of people but instead, having lunch at a friend's new restaurant. Just settling in to listening to the humming of the engine.

As I started to muse, and talk about the day ahead in a more pleasant way, I shifted my priority to totally enjoy the day with my husband at a car show.

It the end it was a wonderful day reconnecting with some car folks we haven't seen in a while, meeting some new hobbyists, and having a tasty lunch before getting on the road back.

I was the designated driver driving the Ferrari home. On the long open road, no traffic, lots of straight-aways and even a couple of curvy turns let me finally rest into the things I love most about the car: how it feels when you are hugging the ground with it beneath you, and the unmistakable deep rich engine sound after it's wound out. Just listen: 

It doesn't take long to acknowledge the feelings of a ride worth raving about.

What about you?

What do you do to shift gears (pun intended) to go from an unpleasant to a pleasant feeling?