7 Life Lessons I Have Learnt From Driving

1. The Road is a leveller

It doesn't matter what you drive, the road is a leveller. Until flying cars become norm, the road remains our primary source of plying. All sorts of cars ply same road. The Ricketies, the Bugattis, the Ferrari all have to make do with same means of conveyance. Just like life, the 'road' happens to us all. It doesn't matter what you drive in life, it is about your contentment in what you drive.

2. You are the driver

It doesn't matter who you have in your car, you are the driver of your life. The driver is the final arbiter in the car. You decide the route, you insist on safety standards such as seat belt usage. Just like in life, you are making choices everyday irrespective of whether you realize it or not. You must always be a player not a victim. We make choices everyday irrespective of whether or not we are conscious of it.

3. There are some circumstances you can't help

One of the biggest lessons I have learnt while driving is that there are many circumstances that you can't control. One of the biggest is the spate of traffic. You can get mad all you want but there is little you can do in this circumstance. The key is to disassociate your happiness from these small stuffs and not put your joy in abeyance. Enjoy the journey. Don't sweat the small stuffs. Don't pull out your hair for situations you can't help. The journey is the destination.

4. Your safety is your responsibility

You can learn all you want about driving procedures and standards. However, once you are behind the steering, your safety is your responsibility and not in any driving handbook. In driving just like in life, you must look out for yourself. You will not always be the priority in the lives of your friends and family. It doesn't make them bad people. Everyone is looking out for himself. Look out for yourself.

5. Beware of short cuts

Short cuts will always be your Achilles heels - so said my driving instructor many years ago. Those are profound words. My experience has always been that you can get stuck in a short cut, and that they are often road traps once you decide to take them. Stay on the main road. Stay on the road you can get support and lighting. Short cuts can kill. In life, you must use the stairs and follow the process. Many of the elevators exalted in life today are facades.

6. Stay on your lane

One of the unwritten, yet mysterious rule of driving is that once you change lanes, your former lane gains traction. It often doesn't matter what lane you are while driving, it will surely move. Many times while driving, I have had the temptation to swap lanes from mine to the other I perceive as moving. Life has taught me that all lanes move, though at different paces and at different times. Ultimately, we all arrive.

7. Defensive driving is everything

The most pivotal learning in any driving school is the act of defensive driving. At the heart of this concept is that you can't vouch for the next man driving on the road, and it is safer to assume that every other road users are lunatics. It is not enough to drive safely, you must drive to protect yourself. Just like in life, guard your self and your sanity against external influence. People will be people, and you never fully know with people. Maintain awareness and drive your life, defensively.