Tuesday, November 1st, 2016, at 12:01am SEPTA went on strike. All routes except for the regional rail trains, ceased all transportation. For commuters or anyone who travels to or from the city, you were probably uttering some not so nice words under your breath due to the strike. I vented and raged to coworkers, friends, and family about the strike. I got all high and mighty about how I would run things better - for the record that was solely out of venting; I can not run things any better. If I was not venting about SEPTA, I was venting about how Uber and Lyft decided to hike up their prices. I vented and felt so much anger in the past week, but that anger was not good for me or anyone. What was my anger and rage accomplishing? Not a darn thing. It was hard and took a minute to get there, but I realized I had to stay positive during this strike. I can not promise that these will work in the future or that they will help everyone, but here are the things I thought about and the tips I would give to someone had they asked me how to stay positive during this strike (for drivers in the city and commuters who depend on public transportation):

1. Try walking or biking. Now, depending on where you are going and where you are coming from and every block or mile in between, this may not be a great tip for you. However, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Try making that commute a bit more interesting. Perhaps you can hatch a few eggs on Pokemon Go or listen to some music. Keep in mind to always be mindful of your surroundings and know that your safety is most important.

2. Enjoy the weather. Who knows if this will be the case next time, but the weather during the strike was absolutely beautiful. It was perfect autumn weather. I did try walking home from work - which was four miles for me - and at first I huffed and puffed, but I took a moment to appreciate the weather. My walk went by so much faster when I focused on that instead of how much my feet or back hurt.

3. Take an Uber or Lyft. Unless your boss was accommodating and you could've worked from home, you had to still go to work. There was no way around it for me. I can't work from home as a teacher. Luckily, friends gave me codes for Lyft and I was able to save some money with that. However, I knew I had to get to work one way or another and even though Uber and Lyft hiked up their prices, I did what had to be done. I just let it flow and allowed it to happen. Me being angry about spending all that money was not accomplishing anything. I knew my options were to walk or spend some money. I took a deep breath and in exhaled with a "I guess I'll Uber today." I wasn't extremely pleased with what I was spending but at least I have a job that allows me to earn money. Friendly reminder: You can always make more money. If you need to spend a little for a good reason (a "need" such as taking an Uber because it's safe than walking the X miles), then so be it.

4. Vent. It is absolutely okay to feel angry about something that your day, week, job, or life depended on (and even for drivers who had to deal with that extra traffic). It is okay to let yourself feel and react to what is going on around you. The key is to not let it run or ruin your day or life. It is healthy to feel your emotions such as sadness, frustration, or anger. Let it flow. Once you've vented though, take a deep breath and move on to something that does deserve your time and energy.

5. Be thankful. This one may be a bit of a struggle for your average bear. I know on a day to day basis I forget to be thankful for certain things. One key thing to remember is to be thankful that you have a job to get to and you have a home to return to at the end of the day. There are so many who do not have one or either of those things. In our rush and chaos of everyday life, it is easy to forget to be thankful. On my four mile walk from work this past Friday, it hit me. I started appreciating the weather, - because it could have been raining throughout this strike - the fact I am able to walk, that I had a destination in the morning (work/a job) and the afternoon (home). The list could go on and on.

I am not trying to sound like this came easy to me. It absolutely did not. It was hard to remember to be thankful and to swallow my pride and allow myself to pay more for the Uber. I knew though I was not going to let it destroy my day or my week. I had students that still needed me. I have loans that still need to be paid. I had things that still needed to be done. You can not control a lot in your life. What you can control is how you react. You can either be miserable and negative or you can be allowing and focus on situations that deserve your focus and energy and attention.