I have always loved to speed. I never drive so fast that I could lose my licence, and never recklessly, but rarely abiding by the law with respect to the speed limit.
I drive powerful cars and I drive safely, but I do like to open up and go fast on an open road. Driving fast like this creates a certain tension in me. I used to pride myself on being able to sense the presence of police cars and would slow down just before coming upon them on the other side of the crest or around the bend. I rarely got caught. To be honest, I think I liked the thrill of it, the rush of it, the feeling I was ‘getting away with it’.
But I have since come to realise that driving in this way creates a narrowness of focus. I am always focussed on the speedo, the sides of the road – looking for likely hiding spots for police cars – and focussed on the other cars, wondering if they are well-camouflaged or unmarked police cars.
I am also always coming up behind slower moving vehicles, so they are always ‘getting in my way’. This leads to impatience, frustration, and sometimes even internal rage.
The other day, I was driving to an appointment. It was a sunny day during school holidays, and I was driving on a highway the police love to patrol. I started off as usual and then thought: “Why not just drive on the speed limit?” So I did.
Driving on the Speed Limit – a Revelation
I drove along at 100 km an hour, instead of 120, and slowed down for road works and built up areas, always travelling within the law and abiding by the speed limits. This created an enormous ease and openness in me and my whole awareness opened up. I was not just focused on the road and on my speed, but was able to be aware of and appreciate my own self, my body and everything around me.
Because I was driving at the same speed as everyone else, the whole road opened up around me. No-one was getting in my way, I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.
I felt a great stillness, and a great sense of joy.
What do I mean when I say I felt a great stillness?
I am usually a little racy, on edge, my mind going quickly, jumping forwards and back in time… and all that even though I no longer choose to drink coffee or eat sugar! I sometimes try to fit too much into each moment and so am often running late, rushing to complete tasks and get to the next one.
In this space that I created by driving within the speed limit, just by allowing myself to drive within the road laws, rather than forcing myself to go faster to get somewhere, this raciness fell away and I was left feeling a great stillness and spaciousness within me. And I had the understanding that this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it.
And then I wondered why I had spent 35 years speeding while driving, depriving myself of this pleasure; the pleasure of abiding by the law. I realised that the law is there, not to annoy me, or to be flouted for the sake of it, but to keep us all as safe as road laws can, no matter what kind of car you have, what the weather conditions are, and how much traffic is on the road.
What part of me thinks I am above or exempt from this law? The part that thinks I am smarter, more alert, have a better car – that the law does not apply to me?
What part of the law says that it is for everyone but me? Abiding by the law comes from the understanding that we are all equal, and that the law is for everyone, equally so; and if we choose to break it, no matter how special we think we are, there will be consequences for us, as there are for everyone else.
This has been an amazing and humbling experience for me, and a great lesson in true equality. And to experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill (which can become an expensive fine!) that I ever had when speeding. Now, all I have to learn to do is leave enough time to get where I am going, as I drive whilst abiding by the law!
I am forever inspired by the life and work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.
By Anne M, Northern NSW, Australia
Further Reading:
Caught Speeding
Driven to Distraction
859 Comments
Thank You Anne, as finding myself in the same equation after 50 years of ruth-less driving pushing my body and car to the maximum it could be driven at and that has been the same as you have shared with a deep tension in the focus that had to put into driving that way and thanks also to Serge Benhayon the feeling of that tension in my body has dissipated when the rules are followed.
I always have had a tendency to go that little bit too fast, I have now been with out a car for a few months so it will be great when I get my car back next week to be more aware and present.
[…] Further Reading: Rush, Rush, Rush Yoga of life – to rush or not to rush? Abiding by the Law – Driving on the Speed Limit, and Enjoying It! […]
These words resonated with me this morning
‘I sometimes try to fit too much into each moment and so am often running late, rushing to complete tasks and get to the next one.’
This is what so many of us do without even realising it we try to fit too much into each moment and so we loose out on the space that is there waiting for us. If I come out of the drive to get things done and just allow the space to open up I find I get more accomplished than if I rush.
In London some boroughs are 20mph instead of the national 30mph in built up areas. Recently I’ve been questioning my annoyance of 20mph zones. And part of it is not wanting to annoy other drivers (most likely those who believe the rules don’t apply to them!) but in trying to slow down rather than accept the speed law for what it is I feel tense and start carelessly speeding.
Laws have a meaning and when we surrender to them, we understand it
The laws of the land are a reflection of the Laws of the Universe that apply to us all equally.
They say children are a lot happier with boundaries in place, adults too in a funny sort of way are better off when there are rules to follow.
There is something very liberating in allowing yourself the space to get somewhere without stress and rush. I wonder how much time we do actually save by speeding? I don’t think the pay off is worth the added stress to the body.
Driving or the drive that leads to being racy definitely has an adverse effect on our body as we can feel the raciness even when we think we are more focused in the racy-ways we go about life. So understanding our limits and true purpose in life has a focus that keeps us in connection with our bodies, so at the end of the day we feel complete without the need to slow down.
“Now, all I have to learn to do is leave enough time to get where I am going, as I drive whilst abiding by the law ” Oh how I relate to this one! I often will leave right at the last moment and cause myself and others more stress.
I love how you share that abiding by the law is part of honouring the rules that have been set to keep us all safe. That may mean that we need to address the nervous tension that meant we felt the need to race or to put so much into our day that we ended up being late and having to ‘make up time’.
Whenever we are doing something ‘wrong’ there is a tension in our body because we are either worried about getting caught or we are arrogantly smug about the fact that we don’t care about getting caught!! To drive within the speed limit that has been set and considered for the health and safety of the all allows more space in our body and puts less pressure on other people using the roads.
I find it interesting how we can change from driving over the speed limit to simply enjoying the speed limit because of the joy connecting to our body. My driving has completely transformed. I don’t get irritated like I used to when a car in front of me slows down because it has entered a 30 or 40 mph sign. I actually slow down before it does! And I am also aware of the beauty around me and the impact driving with myself has on everything and everyone around me.
Driving our vehicle the way we can – that is, in full connection to the body of the vehicle , driving with such love and care, that is our potential every time we drive off.
There is one less tension to feel when we drive our car according to the law.
I invariably find, if I am in a rush to get somewhere, that there is always a car that will pull out in front of me that is only going about 25mph. So rather than get frustrated or annoyed, when it happens now I have to smile to myself as I clearly know what the message is. And very often the registration plate, or some writing on a van or lorry will have a message for me too!
What a great understanding you came to, that space and stillness is always there inside us, if we allow ourselves to slow
down, connect to and feel it, ‘In this space that I created by driving within the speed limit, just by allowing myself
to drive within the road laws, rather than forcing myself to go faster to get somewhere, this raciness fell away and
I was left feeling a great stillness and spaciousness within me.’
I just had an awesome drive of four hours and I am sure it is because I let go of having to be anywhere at any given time and just focused on the present moment. It was interesting when I came across a roadblock and I ventured off route following my nose so to speak. I meandered down some tiny lanes…very beautiful in the autumn colours and met no-one for several miles. I eventually came out at a place that was familiar and actually arrived for my appointment ten minutes ahead of time.
I definitely try to stick to the speed limit and find that if I drive over the speed limit then there is a subtle tension in my body that doesn’t feel great and I know it will leave me feeling more tired when I get home.
I love keeping to the speed limit now .. it mainly started because years ago I got 9 points on my licence in about 2 months for speeding!!!! Yep so a lot more careful now. But what I really hate is road bullying when someone drives up behind you and flashes their lights at you to move so they can go faster, that is when I stay in the lane and do my own thing if they want to go faster they can go round me.
When we choose to understand rather than react to life there is a whole other level of space and awareness to move through life in
Lovely to read what unfolded when you drove to the speed limit of the area, and let go of the thrill you had previously enjoyed, that I am sure many of us can relate with, ‘To be honest, I think I liked the thrill of it, the rush of it, the feeling I was ‘getting away with it’.
It costs energy to not Obey the speedlimits. It gives a stress to the body as you know the limits are there for safety of all And you go against it.
I love driving with a real awareness of my posture and every movement I make – acceleration, turning corners, stopping and so on. This care also brings attention to the local speed limits. If allowing myself to be pulled out into mental thoughts, I can find myself speeding and having less attention on what is going on around me.
It seems so easy to justify at times why we do not need to follow the general rules and laws in life. But in reality it demonstrates how we as individuals want to be different from others.
Yes, there is a quality that is always there for us, waiting for us to ‘get in sync’ with it so to speak. When we do not keep our foot on the break and do not speed ahead we are exactly where we need to be and the body is left to be in one with the Universe.
I know this feeling of tension in my body when speeding very well. Not that I like speed, not at all but when I am focussed on getting somewhere i just want to get there, or not be late, or just be able get home and well, let’s be honest..shut down from the day. I since have learned to stay present and make my time in the car separate from the point of destination. At times I still get caught in it and speed up but these days the tension in my body more often then not brings me back into the moment.
I am loving driving safe and respectfully, when the push of got to get somewhere is not longer there. I can actually enjoy being in the moment. Lots to learn and observe about life and the way that we drive.
I used to love driving fast and didn’t really take into consideration what impact that had on those around me. I was safe but still liked to hoon around. Over time that has eased of and now I can fully appreciate the respect and care for others in cars, bikes and pedestrians. It feels so much more loving for all when you are being respectful for those around you, even if you are not driving.
Life becomes more simpler and more clearer when we don’t go beyond boundaries that are put there for sane and practical reasons.
I love how when we are open to experimenting how the revelations can pour through. Sometimes I am so surprised at the 180 degree turns that can happen as a result – so worth trying new things or trying things in a new way and then clocking how it makes us feel.
Great observation, experimenting with how we live life, actually refining how we are with our bodies, self care and habits can indeed be transformational, from my experience.
Quite often we speed through life, and not just on the roads. We go into so much drive to get things done, prove this, create that etc… so this blog offers us all much to consider, beyond how we drive on the roads, thank you.
Very interesting to read this blog – I am also finding how much more relaxed I feel when I drive at a pace that is not asking anything of me other than to remain focused on my driving and what is going on around me as I drive. I find when I do this, the speed limit is taken care of very naturally.
We love to focus on the law and following it, or flouting it – both give their own reward. But what would life be like if we concentrated on the universal laws of this world, and made these our guiding principles? We then would not stop speeding to avoid fines but because of brotherhood, connection and energetic integrity demanded it.
Beautifully said Thank you Joseph Barker. Driving can be a time when we become more centred and with ourselves rather than the checkout it so often is.
Recently I was driving at just over the speed limit of 30 miles per hour and what I clocked first was how it didn’t feel great in my body which got me to clock my speed and slow down. It felt so amazing to be with myself as I was driving that I took myself by surprise coming for someone that has been what you might call a boy racer for years.
I have got to say I am actually really starting to enjoy driving slow and not over the speed limit, there is a certain rush in the body and anxiousness that goes with driving too quickly event if it is only a few miles over.
How we are on the road is how we are with people in general even if we cover it up by niceness to people from who we want something.
So speeding and the love it, is basically a form of expressing one’s individuality.
‘I am also always coming up behind slower moving vehicles, so they are always ‘getting in my way’. This leads to impatience, frustration, and sometimes even internal rage.’ I know this so well, blaming other slower drivers for making ME late, when the truth was or is I should say that I love to be late, I enjoy the tension and thrill of racing against time too, to see if I can arrive exactly on time, or just a few minutes late so I would get incredibly impatient with those who were abiding by the law. This all changed relatively recently when I decided to test myself and just see if I could complete a long journey sticking to the speed limit. I didn’t succeed and my speed did waver but not much and the difference I felt in my body when I arrived home was so significant that I have started to adopt driving at the speed limit most of the time.
There is a beauty in driving on the speed limit and I find it opens up the body and allows for no tension. I get the same feeling with being early for appointments, or when I catch the train or plane. It stops the nervous anxiousness.
I have recently been asked to have a little black box fitted into my car so that the insurance company can monitor how I drive – it was nearly a thousand pound cheeper that way so I said yes. At first I was a little nervous but now I am more then ok with something monitoring me, it means I need to be more present and more in my body whilst driving which can never be a bad thing.
It is so true Anne and such a beautiful point to explore, that in our stillness there is an incredible spaciousness to appreciate, confirm and be in awe of along with the magic of how it feels to magnify this quality through our movements.
These feels like a beautiful example of divine obedience and living to a natural flow and order in life.
Yes agreed – a great reflection of how our bodies are already divinely geared to be at one and in rhythm with the order of the universe. It is only we that have applied the brakes or seek to race ahead so as to indulge in the self-created identification of the illusion of being in control.
The way we drive our cars is a great reflection as to how we are within our own bodies. To feel steady, sure of ourselves, present and stillness guarantees a journey of joy and beauty.
There is so much to be said when we turn the ignition on. Does this give us a marker of how our body is feeling at the start or end of the day?
That’s true because I’ve noticed if I’m not steady it reflects in the way I drive and the confidence I have while out on the road.
A couple of years ago I went back to New Zealand and one of the first things I noticed was that everybody drives at the speed limit of 100km/h as it is so easy to get caught and loose your licence, at first I found this frustrating because it seemed so slow as it is about 60mph and in England the open road speed limit is 70mph and you really can drive a lot faster than that most of the time. After a while though when you do get in the flow I noticed how much nicer it was when everyone is going the same speed and there wasn’t those darting in and out causing tension and aggravation.
Hear hear Ariana, the disrespect of self and others is what I feel when drivers are speeding through residential streets. You can feel the disconnect from their body, a body that is naturally connected to everyone.
When I am running late for an appointment or work that is when I tend to want to speed to make up the time I have wasted by not giving myself space to get there before time. When I drive like this or are a passenger in a car running late then my whole body feels like it is pushed forward and every little obstacle or slow driving causes irritation. When I give myself space to get to where I am going in plenty of time it sets up my whole day to run the same way.
Yes I agree Aimee. It’s well worth giving ourselves that extra time on a journey so that we create space from the outset. There is an allowing in this that makes everything more harmonious somehow.
I appreciate the spaciousness you felt when abiding by the law and driving in the speed limit – my experience is that I can tie myself into knots so I don’t speed, the exact opposite of spaciousness. I too used to speed, whenever and wherever and there is obviously a different lesson for me to learn here.
I do a lot of driving in my job and some days I can be sitting in my car for 7 hours, what I have found is some journeys I love- I play glorious music and listen to some audio and in some journeys I am soooo impatient to get home and out of the car – what makes the difference is in how well I have cared for myself in the days leading up to the drive – if I had been hard with myself pushing myself then my journeys also feel like a push and hard work where as if I have nurtured myself properly, eaten well, kept myself well hydrated and fresh from a good nights sleep my journeys are no matter how long a joy.
Great insight: abiding the law is also to encompass everybody.
It is so simple to make the roads a safer more loving and supportive place. If we all drove with equal respect, care and love for others there would be so much change in that alone. But of course it all starts first with ourselves and how we are with ourselves in life.
Yes it starts with ourselves, how much love, care and respect do we bring to ourselves, ‘If we all drove with equal respect, care and love for others there would be so much change in that alone.’
In England many people in villages and towns are concerned about how fast people drive – some residents take out a speed gun and they will take pictures of speeding cars – I really like the community aspect of this – the residents realised there was a need and the community came together to do something – this is how it should be.
Occasionally I find myself speeding and it feels horrible in the body, so much so that I arrive really tense at where I am going to so speeding is definitely not worth it.
Driving fast can be another form of checking out and not wanting to feel what is actually going on for us.
So often speeding or driving over the limit has an image of risk taking yet how often do we stop to recognise that the image is more of an irresponsibility.
“Abiding by the law comes from the understanding that we are all equal, and that the law is for everyone, equally so” Sometimes I think I can get away with driving a little to fast so this blog is a great reminder it is never worth it, Thank you Anne.
I love this blog. This can be applied to life too! If we race through life at a zillion miles an hour we miss out on the ease and serenity that we can experience if we slow down and feel what is going on.
Leaving enough time to get to where we have to go is a very self-caring thing to do.
I love coming back to this blog! I am pretty sure you are less tired from driving now than before. The quality in how we do things is everything- I recently drove 7 hours in a quality of no rush and being very present and enjoyed the journey instead of impatiently counting the Kilometers that were left. How I arrived was mind blowing. Not stressed out or in any nervous tension. That was a great marker. Never getting caught by time- it simply drains you.
I love how you felt a sense of spaciousness and an equality with everyone on the road. I can relate to your habit of rushing and also wanting a buzz. But as you have so beautifully shown, if we slow down there is so much beauty to feel. A gorgeous story.
In fact if we choose the right and true speed, everything falls into place from its own.
When we stay to the limit we are offering one another the choice that we choose to honour the road and everyone that drives on it equally.
I love how you bring equality into your sharing about driving to the speed limit. We seem to feel that we are alone in our ‘little metal box’ but the way we are driving affects everyone else on the road and creates tension in our bodies when we are trying to speed to our destination.
‘I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.’ Such a joy to be on the road with drivers like you. I guess all the traffic jams will disappear.
When we race through life we are never with ourselves but always focused on ‘getting there’ but the thing is we never make it there. We are so caught up in this momentum that we run life and then seek relief from it, then get up and go again then seek relief from it- it is this cycle that drains us- the relief equally as draining as the rushing.
Imagine how many papers and documents exist worldwide on strategies to curb speeding. Hefty fines, jail sentences, speed cameras are all involved but no one it seems is discussing the root cause – that we don’t want to be aware of what we feel. This brings more understanding to areas of life way beyond our driving. Thank you Anne.
Humbleness is a quality that allows us to walk in the world without so much need to protect ourselves. Highly recommended.
There is something very communal about travelling on the roads by car, as we all move together around bends, stopping at lights, going from one lane to two or from two to one. A bunch of strangers moving with each other, abiding by the laws of the road together, communicating with indicators and brake lights. And as we each travel on, never to see one another again, there was a moment of harmony between us, regardless of uniform, religion, cultural beliefs, skin colour, nationality. We were moving in unison.
I have noticed when I am in a flow with life and feel no rush I am given lots of opportunity to help people on the road by letting people out or letting pedestrians pass. I love this as I can feel its all part of one big flow.
When however I am in a rush all these opportunities are lost.
So true and it’s a great reminder to slow down and not lose ourselves in the busyness of life and self imposed deadlines.
We are often paying a high price when we think we are ‘getting away’ with something. The joke is on us.
Love what you have shared Anne, and may I add that when we drive to the speed limit it actually takes close to the same time to get to our destination stress-free. So nothing to be gained from driving fast.
This is evident Gregg when you see people driving erratically to jump the queue only to find that they are only two cars ahead when the cars have come to a stop or traffic lights.
It takes a willingness to be honest to truly be able to observe how our bodies feel before, during and after we do things such as driving fast or speeding. As what we then are led to is the reason as to why we would put our bodies in tension whilst seeking a thrill and allow the opportunity to address this, change our behaviour to bring a greater feeling of harmony in our bodies and life.
Beautifully expressed Carola, and when we bring greater harmony to our bodies and life, we offer this as a reflection to the rest of the world.
I can relate to this even though I don’t drive. I am never separate from the world, I am always a part of the system and this is not something I can run away from. It does not mean the system is here to control me, it is my choice in how I see things.
Driving to the limit can allow us to feel the responsibility that goes with being on the road with others. An in built respect indicator that is shown with the speed we all choose to drive to keep each other safe and get to our next point of call.
On a bit of road trip this afternoon so this article comes as a point of inspiration to remember the space, stillness and steadiness I feel when I drive within the speed limits.
“I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally” – I’ve never realised this before but it’s so true, when we are rushing or driving only to reach our destination it’s like our focus becomes all about US, and other cars become more so obstacles than other people! When we recognise that a journey is actually much more than going from A to B then the space opens up and we actually naturally communicate more through using our indicators, brake lights, mirrors and so forth as we are no longer in the stress.
That is so true that when we slow down and give ourselves the space to feel things then you are able to connect to the stillness that is on offer. What is super cool is to be connected to this stillness and then drive in a way when you don’t loose this. I can feel how much this is actually having an impact on the roads and all the cars around me.
It is so simple. It is interesting that we want to speed ahead of our natural flow and rhythm in life, this is not just on the road, but in how we approach life in general. And then, right in front of us is a physical, tangible rhythm that can support us to get a sense of what it is like to work within the flow of life, this is the speed limit and road rules.
Any part of our body that is wanting to go faster is a marker of a tension or an unease we are feeling from where we have been or where we are going.
I love this blog Anne, as I can relate to it having been a very similar driver. The way you have worded this I found very interesting . . .” rather than forcing myself to go faster to get somewhere,” . . . it was the word ‘forcing’ for it is as if we really do call in a force when we speed up to get somewhere, a force we don’t really want in our body!
This blog has often come into my mind as I joyfully flow with the roads and drive at the speed that is there to be driven at. It’s quite a different experience to feel that as opposed to trying to keep on or just over the speed limit. There is no flow in our driving when we do that and it’s all control and tension.
I don’t drive but when I walk steadily and with presence on the busy streets of HK it is the best gift for myself, a surrender to the body and it feels amazing it is possible to be this in the hustle bustle of the city, wouldn’t the city feel it too?
Driving in presence can be such a joy, just as many other ordinary tasks and activities in life, yet we often miss these moments in life by racing forward or back in our minds.
Recently I bought a new car, not completely new but almost, and the most expensive car I have bought to date . I found myself driving so much more carefully in this car and with myself when I was not driving. Although I am less hesitant or cautious now I am still very careful and drive within the speed limits and am much more courteous to other drivers. I leave extra time to get to places but ironically I am also not rushing around before I leave so much either. Time is expanding and holding me in its cradle. It feels very supportive and life has a more harmonious flow.
I have never made the link between driving at the speed limit and equality before but I can see that now that when we only think about ourselves and our own needs to save time or make our own journey shorter we are not considering the bigger picture and the impact that our movements have on everyone and everything around us.
Coming from one that previously ‘loved’ to speed I now can say how far more honouring in every way it feels to drive the speed limit, as the raciness is replaced with a great sense of settlement and awareness of not only my body and being but everything else around me. This is a beautiful revelation you have shared Anne, that the spaciousness and stillness is ever-present within us, we only need to allow it to be felt and lived.
Driving can be a great opportunity to just be with ourselves, remain present and enjoy what we are doing. Perhaps it is the simplicity of this that we avoid?
If you speed and are not respectful to abide by the law on the road there are consequences. I acted the same and drove how I wanted – I paid for it many years later. The way I drive now is in connection to all — being aware of who is doing what and I know intuitively when they are going to make a change. Confirming this awareness and supporting stillness in flow is far healthier than being in a forced tension. It’s a wonder why there is more road rage due to less speeding because of speed cameras and the more traffic on the roads. If you speed and drive, your an unaware idiot.