With the rising price of oil, conversations are prevalent about the negative impact on so many aspects of our routines hinging on the consumption of fuel – commuting to work, summer travel, recreational vehicles, the trickledown effect to the higher food prices and more.

Too much time is spent thinking and talking about things that are of concern to us, but not at all in our circle of influence (that which we can change). We cannot change the price of gas, but we can certainly change our habits to reduce our consumption.

Reactive people spend time and energy thinking within their circle of concern ? things that are of concern to them, but not necessarily within their ability to do something about. Proactive people spend their time and energy within their circle of influence ? working on the things that they can do something about.

Recently in a seminar we used the gas prices as our concern, and thinking about what we could influence, came up with a great list of influential ideas.

• Carpool
• Take advantage of the transit system (which could give us time to read, rest or do other quality tasks while we are in transit)
• Walk more, bike to closer destinations
• Organize our outings so that our time and fuel are efficient
• Spend more time at home with our families, or resting and relaxing to rejuvenate ourselves
• Eat less (we do consume far more than the basic needs of our bodies)
• Buy oil stocks (if you can’t beat them, join them)

As Dr. Stephen Covey says in his book First Things First,too many good things are getting in the way of the best things.For example, too many errands, too many extra-curricular activities, too many convenient trips to the supermarket and malls to buy more and more stuff, too many vehicles creating pollution, and consuming more than what is good for us.These habits are getting in the way of the best things, like relaxation, exercise, proper eating and time to spend with our loved ones.

If we consumed less fuel using the strategies above, would it be true to admit that gas prices are better than ever?

It’s not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that can either hurt us or benefit us. It’s our choice. We are responsible (response-able = able to choose our response).

Best wishes for a fuel-efficient summer.

Penny

This article is dedicated to the fabulous team at Nasittuq – A Canadian intercultural enterprise, operating and maintaining the North Warning System (NWS), a network of radars, which “look out” from Canada’s North to detect airborne threats to North America, enhancing our security and sovereignty.