Learning to drive in the 90s taught me a lot about nerves, fear, confidence and quiet breakthroughs long before I became a hypnotherapist.
Driving lessons in the 90s
It was the 90s and all my peers were having driving lessons and passing their tests. My first car was a bronze Mini Metro. And naturally, I wanted to pass my test so that I could take off for the open road too.
My driving instructor had a laid-back style. Chomping away on an endless supply of Wrigley’s spearmint gum, he’d often say “Nobody cares, do they? They just haven’t given themselves enough time, have they?”, as impatient drivers revved their engines behind us down narrow country lanes. When we reached the top of a hill, he’d sometimes just switch the engine off and let the car roll down to save petrol. That wasn’t allowed then, never mind now.
Test one: Freezing at the Green Light
I didn’t move when the light turned green.
The examiner looked at me and said, “Well the light is green, if you’re not going to go now, you’re never going to go.”
Fair comment.
It was pure nerves. The kind of panic you feel when your brain goes quiet, even though you know exactly what to do.
Test two: The White Line
I pulled up just a fraction over the line at the traffic lights.
The examiner said, “Well, I’m sorry, even though it’s only a fraction over, the law says you must be behind the line.”
Logical, but frustrating. Sometimes it isn’t fear or anxiety that catches you out. A small detail but enough to fail you on the spot.
Test three: The Builders, and the Unexpected
It was a lovely sunny morning and the test was going well. As we approached a quiet road in a residential area the examiner asked me to do a three-point turn. I felt calm, confident and ready.
Then I noticed a group of builders on their tea break sitting on a low wall just back from the pavement. That old fear flickered up and the worry of being watched seeped in. I think I must have whispered “Oh no” under my breath as the examiner, a pleasant lady, said gently “try not to get distracted.”
Well, it was obvious what was happening. A Mini Metro with L plates, a smartly dressed lady in a suit with a clipboard in the passenger seat. Then in the driving seat me a nervous teenager in jeans and a t-shirt. I managed the manoeuvre and then the universe intervened…
All of a sudden, a deafening metal screech ripped from underneath the car.
The noise was so loud you couldn’t hear yourself think. Passers-by were looking over in alarm in a now not so quiet road. Panic shot through me, though I’d done nothing wrong.
Unfortunately, a stone had got stuck in the wheel hub and that’s what was making the deafening racket. I wanted the floor of the car to open up and swallow me.
The examiner then said, “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to terminate this test right now because we can’t continue with this noise.” She wished me the best of luck for next time.
No failure on my part, just bad luck.
The final test
Now dear reader, I know I might have built you up to a point where you might be anticipating this story to conclude with a grand crescendo. You might be expecting some triumphant moment e.g. the moment where I knew I’d passed. But I don’t have that for you.
On the day of my final test I didn’t hesitate at traffic lights or pull up slightly over the line. And there were no show-stopping screeching noises.
In all honesty, I don’t remember much about my final test.
But what I do remember is that I passed.
And that’s the truth about confidence: The moment it arrives it doesn’t feel dramatic at all. It simply feels… steady.
Hypnotherapy: When change isn’t dramatic but it’s real
There’s something powerful about quiet progress.
Often, change begins the way my final test unfolded.
Calm, ordinary and uncomplicated.
Hypnotherapy works in that same gentle way.
It helps your subconscious release old stress patterns and rebuild confidence through steady internal shifts. And suddenly what seemed impossible seems possible again.
Sometimes the quiet road leads to the biggest changes.
Ready to feel more confident?
If anxiety, fear or stress are affecting your driving, your daily life, or your sense of control, I’d love to help.
📩 The first step?
Head to my contact page to get in touch and request your complimentary discovery call.
It gives us a clear, calm starting point to see what’s possible for you.
