"You cheated!" exclaimed a fellow-networker when she saw the prime parking space I had secured.
I simply replied, "Less stress!"
With less stress you notice more of the right things that need noticing. In addition to finding great parking spots, you'll be able to take advantage of those seemingly serendipitous moments.
Imagine that you are driving along a lonely country road on a dark foggy night. You lean forward in your seat, as if by getting closer to the road you'll be better able to see through the fog. Sadly, no matter how hard you change your position or squint your eyes, your vision will not improve until the fog lifts.
It is not uncommon for people to describe themselves as being in a fog when they are stressed. Stress diverts your attention from what matters to what is stressing you. Add in fatigue and other symptoms that are indicative of stress and things like parking spaces go unnoticed.
A tip to help you clear the fog: become aware of your thoughts and emotions. How often are you worrying, feeling sadness, fear or any other negative emotions?
For now, it is enough to notice your patterns without judgment. Once you recognize when you do certain things, you can learn some techniques to replace those behaviours and find those parking spots. Without cheating.
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