Hey Reader,
There’s a certain type of road rage that gets embedded into the DNA of anyone who lives in Massachusetts. Any true Masshole will tell you they’ve had their moments… and if they say they haven’t, they’re straight-up lying.
When I first moved here from Buffalo (still a little cheery, still believing people used turn signals, still convinced the world was mostly kind), I got told a story that broke that innocence real fast:
An EMT… killed by a priest… with a crossbow… over a road rage incident.
Welcome to Massachusetts, baby. We don’t just honk. We go medieval.
So when I saw this woman roll up behind me on Route 3, let’s just say I’ve lived here long enough to have brewed my own road-rage “essence” — but also know how sideways it can go.
Here’s how it went down.
First off, I’m not a slow driver. Let’s get that out of the way. So if someone is flying up behind me, they’re already trying to qualify for Formula 1.
I’m cruising in the left lane, passing a box truck, when I see her in my rearview — and she is coming up so fast I swear she teleported. For those who’ve never met Josie the Kia Soul, she has about as much trunk as a cereal box. If I can’t see your headlights in my mirror, congratulations: you’ve become a hemorrhoid.
She got so close, so fast I actually panicked and started to move over — until I realized the box truck was still in my blind spot.
So I snapped back into my lane (because I do prefer not dying today), and apparently Miss F1 Qualifier did NOT appreciate my commitment to safety.
She laid on her horn like she was summoning a demon.
So I had to gas it to get ahead of the truck. When I could finally move over, she pulled up next to me, window down, screaming, flipping me off, and — in her rage — nearly side-swiped me.
Now you’re probably thinking:
“Renae, you’re such a calm person. I’m sure you didn’t engage at all. You probably sent her healing vibes and wished her a beautiful day!”
Ha.
Haaaa.
HAHAHAHAHA.
Sure.
If you know me, you know I’m calm and Italian. Meaning: serene… with a habanero-infused edge.
But — plot twist — I had just listened to a David Bayer podcast where he talks about asking yourself one question in moments of chaos:
“What would your higher self do?”
So suddenly I’m sitting there with two very different roads to choose from:
Road #1: Old Renae
Speed up behind her like a feral raccoon with a driver’s license and scream,
“YEAH BITCH? WHERE YOU GOING IN YOUR SHITBOX FORD ESCAPE WITH THOSE SALT LIFE FLIP-FLOP STICKERS?”
Road #2: Higher-Self Renae
Do a few breathing exercises.
Break the karmic loop.
Choose evolution over escalation.
Cue the Carrie Underwood song, "Jesus Take the Wheel"...
So I went with Road #2.
I let her go.
And here’s the cosmic joke — we ended up taking the same exit, and I wound up right behind her at the red light.
I looked at her in her side mirror.
We locked eyes.
I smiled.
The satisfaction?
WAY better than any road-rage meltdown would’ve offered.
If you want to hear the podcast that saved me from a potential misdemeanor, here it is:
👉 David Bayer, Episode 193
https://davidbayer.com/podcast/episode-193/
Lean in with me...
This little highway saga reminded me of something I teach constantly:
Regulation isn’t about becoming a zen monk.
It’s about interrupting the 1% of moments that shape your entire identity.
Your nervous system will always try to drag you back into what’s familiar — even if “familiar” is fury, tension, or chasing down a stranger in a Ford Escape.
But the second you pause…
breathe…
and choose differently…
That’s where the transformation actually begins.
So here’s your experiment this week:
Do one thing differently in a moment you’d normally react.
Just one.
See what shifts.
And if you want a simple, structured way to practice choosing differently — especially during the emotional circus we call the holiday season — I put together a free 7-Day Holiday Reset Challenge.
Each morning, you’ll get one small gratitude or intention-setting prompt to reset your mind, calm your system, and keep you from spiraling into chaos (or chasing anyone down Route 3). In the afternoon, you'll check in with your body with a quick body scan, then you'll end the evening with a short reflection.
If you want in, download it here and join the challenge → [7-Day Holiday Reset Challenge]
And hey — if you decide to download the 7-Day Reset Challenge, send me a message and let me know how you like it. I not only value your input for how I design future courses and programs, I genuinely love hearing how these practices help you live a more regulated, intentional, and aligned life.
See you next Wednesday - and as always, if you liked this, forward it to a friend so they can join the fam and be regulated like you.
- Renae