Road rage has made the news for quite a few years and now it is spreading to the office.  Actually road rage and office rage is spreading all over the world including the UK and Russia.  I googled these topics and on one site it lists the causes, but from my perspective these are only surface reasons. There is a much deeper reason for rage on the road and in the office. Let's face it, we are living in an age of high stress. People have either not been taught ethics or have forgotten them and could it be what is watched on television or the movies?

Violence in films is now seen as action films. These get the adrenalin going. NASCAR has become a religion and unless there is excitement, life is considered boring and the ultimate outcome is stress. Our news media adds to this by showing the violence of war and after awhile people become immune on the surface. However, there is an underlying sense of fear. We also have the fear of the economic failures happening not only in the U.S., but abroad as well. We as a collective have been bought and enslaved by corporate world and we have forgotten our values.

Instead of simmering inwardly about people who irritate us, bosses who appear to be unjust and overbearing and the rising costs of living, perhaps it is time to take time to search within us the meaning our lost values.

I have my own list of personal values, which I share here. 1) Turn off the television and take time to smell the roses. Take a walk in nature and be aware of what is happening there. 2) Stop watching violent films and find a hobby that is appealing. 3) Stop gossiping about people. 4) Give up jealousy.  5) Do random acts of kindness that you ordinarily would not do. 6) Treat others as you want to be treated. 7) Every night before retiring, say thank you for everything in your life - even if it is the wart on your nose. It has been said that the greatest prayer one can say is 'Thank you.'  8) When you wake up in the morning, don't groan. Be different and begin blessing everything in your world and say thank you for the great day you are already having.

There are other values to consider such as keeping your word, do not lie, do not cheat, do not steal. It really is up to the individual to search and find out what values one has. If we lived these values, we would not fall into the trap of simmering anger that erupts into rage. No one can make us change because change is an inside job. If I am to be what I want to be, then it is up to me to change my attitude and look at life and situations from a different perspective. If everyone would do this, there would be fewer illnesses and of course this would affect the medical profession, medical insurance and pharmaceutical corporations.

Life is not unfair unless you make it so. Change your mind and you change your world.