Luminous Heart Reiki & Massage

I’ve learned a lot from Philadelphia traffic. Sure, there are official laws, assigned by the state, but they’re not really enforced here. I imagine the police have their hands full of other business.

Slowly but surely I’ve come to learn the street rules.

You can run a red light if you long-honk while you’re going through it as a warning.

You can cross the double yellow line if there’s an obstacle (delivery truck, open car door, bus, kids running for the bus, massive pothole, etc) in your lane and there’s no one else there. It matters not if you hold up traffic going the other way.

If you’re first in line at a red light, you can make a left turn in front of oncoming traffic if you go fast, preferably a beat before the light turns green.

There’s more of these, but you get the idea. You can basically do whatever you want if you occupy a space before anyone else gets there. It helps to have an SUV and good insurance, but it isn’t necessary.

I call it finders keepers. If you see a space that would benefit you and nobody else is currently holding it, you can nab it.

This rule-breaking used to make me nuts. I’d get very judgey about drivers who didn’t obey the traffic laws. Of course, they were immune to my thought-daggers and I’m the one who suffered the cortisol surges.

Over time I just began to expect people to find and claim the spaces on the road that suited them. I’ve even begun to participate myself, growing bolder with practice.

It’s the opposite of people pleasing and for that, I commend all these rule-breakers! How much freer many of us would be if we gave less energy to making others happy.

What’s really got me thinking is how limiting the rules imposed by external “authorities” can be and how I’ve internalized rules from all sorts of “authorities” that aren’t actually authorities or are no longer valid.

No running.

Single file.

Be quiet.

Well, I’ve had enough of that! I’m going to start taking up more space. My space. I don’t need to infringe on your space to do that. There’s plenty for everyone in the energetic realm.

I’m not suggesting that you go on a crime spree, drive recklessly, or pursue your needs at the expense of those around you.

I AM suggesting that you make your needs at least as important as strangers you pass on the street and examine the beliefs that you picked up in third grade.