InnerSelf

When you catch yourself complaining about the weather, stop. Instead of joining in with the grousing, sim­ply say, “Really? I love this weather.” Usually that produces a shock effect.

If saying this feels like too much of an inau­thentic stretch for you, then simply state a fact, such as “Yes, it has been raining for five days now” or “It snowed twelve inches yesterday.” If you cannot be positive, at least try to be as neutral as possible when describing the weather.

Remember that all kinds of weather are necessary to keep this earth healthy. So remain neutral and notice how almost everywhere you go, people complain about the weather.

As Kids, We Didn't Complain About the Weather

I have lived in some pretty extreme climates. Growing up in Texas, it was routine to have summer days with temperatures topping one hundred degrees. And yet I never remember complaining about the weather. As kids, we just played and enjoyed whatever weather the earth provided. It wasn’t until I became an adult, living in the Northeast, that I noticed the popular sport of “weather bashing.”

One of my personal favorites during New Hampshire winters is “I can’t stand the snow.” I want to say, “Really? Then why are you living in New England?”

Don’t get me wrong . . . I have done more than my fair share of complaining about the cold in New England. I have extremely poor circulation and spend much of the year with freezing fingers and toes. I’ve also moaned about the rain that once lasted all of June. I’ve grumbled about shoveling snow and complained about the wind and single- digit tempera­tures.

Never Let The Weather Determine Your Mood

However, one day in the bleak of midwinter a few years ago, a shift occurred for me. I was in a restaurant having lunch with a friend when I saw a man walk by in a T-shirt proclaiming in neon green letters NEVER LET THE WEATHER DETERMINE YOUR MOOD.

Wow. This idea had never occurred to me. Why indeed let the weather determine my mood? Weather can’t be controlled— it can barely be predicted. It changes all the time and cannot be influ­enced by any force on earth. Why let something so unpredictable be the basis for my daily mood?

Practicing A Neutral Response to Weather

Since then, I’ve practiced a more neutral response to weather. It’s true that I don’t especially love bitter temperatures. And no, I don’t love extreme heat either. In fact, my ideal comfort zone lies in the very small window between 65 and 80 degrees (which means I’m usually not all that comfortable). But I am something of a weather champion these days.

I get a kick out of watching people’s faces when I talk about loving the rain. I watch myself start the car in subfreezing temperatures, teeth chattering, thrill­ing to the bracing air.

And guess what? No weather pattern lasts forever. So relax, watch it change, and keep your mood out of it.

A Thought To Live By

Remember that our earth home requires all kinds of weather to keep it healthy and balanced. When we complain about the weather, we leach negative energy into our minds and bodies.

Resisting something that you have no control over is futile. Making friends with what is generates positive energy which spills over into your life as inner peace.

©2011. All rights reserved.
Publisher: The Berkley Publishing Group,
an imprint of The Penguin Group. www.us.penguingroup.com

This article was excerpted with permission from the book:

Shortcuts to Inner Peace: 70 Simple Paths to Everyday Serenity
by Ashley Davis Bush.

It can be a challenge to reach a calm and relaxed mindset, especially in our modern world. But in Shortcuts to Inner Peace, Ashley Davis Bush helps readers learn how to hit the pause button amidst the chaos with a spirit of mindfulness-linking fast, easy, and restorative respites to ordinary everyday activities.

Click here for more info and/or to order this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Ashley Davis Bush, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and grief counselor in private practice in Epping, New Hampshire. She is the author of several self-help books: Transcending Loss , Claim Your Inner Grown-up and Shortcuts to Inner Peace: 70 Simple Paths to Everyday Serenity. Her work focuses on coping with losses, searching for meaning, maximizing one’s potential, finding inner peace, and navigating transitions. Ashley shares her thoughts monthly in her newsletter, Still Waters: Tools and Resources for Living Deeply. She facilitates two online grief support groups, one for grievers on www.facebook.com/transcendingloss and one for finding inner peace www.facebook.com/shortcutstoinnerpeace. Visit her website at: http://www.ashleydavisbush.com