When Change Happens

I had a revelation today. Actually it started a few months back when I was on a two week driving trip with my mother and my uncle. We were doing a ‘family heritage’ trip in Texas. We visited lots of relatives and towns where my mom and her family had lived when she was a child. I had a very spiffy rental car…. NOT! I was struggling with the steering wheel one day. It just didn’t seem to be in the right place for me. My uncle suggested that I ‘adjust it’ to work better for me. Now, in the case of this particular car, there was a serious issue with the steering wheel. It had not been manufactured correctly and it was ‘crooked.’ The center portion of the steering wheel actually blocked my view of the speedometer when I was driving at freeway speeds. None-the-less, my uncle’s suggestion that I ‘adjust’ the steering wheel to my needs was truly something new to me. Now, I’ve been driving a looooooong time. I’ve owned many different types of autos and rented scores more. Until my uncle made this simple suggestion I had NEVER adjusted a steering wheel. I simply ‘accepted’ what was when I received the car!

How often in life do we do this? It had never even occurred to me that I could make a simple adjustment and turn my driving time into a much more comfortable and pleasant experience. It simply never occurred to me. What a difference it makes to have the steering wheel at an appropriate height and angle for my body.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am, let’s say, a bit on the vertically challenged side. I’m short! There are many times when this is a blessing, but I’m not ‘average’ height by any stretch of the imagination. So nothing is really designed with me in mind. Since that fateful day last spring, I have been obsessed with the new found power to control and tailor my driving environment. I’ve adjusted my two vehicles so the steering wheel feels just perfect. Every time I get a rental car, the steering wheel adjustment is on my list right after familiarizing myself with the lights, turn signals, windshield wipers and adjusting the mirrors.

It’s like living in an entirely new world! Such a simple concept… and it took me 28 years to discover this super easy way of making my life a little more comfortable and enjoyable.

Whenever I have one of these revelations that are so exquisitely simple, I become very excited about the next liberating discovery that I will make! The moral of the story for me is to keep my eyes open, and be willing to allow my life to be made easier. Sometimes I think we blind ourselves to things that will actually help us live a more peaceful, balanced and satisfying life.

Ever adjusted your steering wheel? Give it a try today! It might change your whole direction in life!