Learning to embrace weather
While you'll be reading this in April, it was written it March. In California, where I live, it has rained, not every day, but most. It's one of the wettest March's on record. In fact, it's pouring down rain, as I write this piece. I have to admit; I love the rain, especially when I'm writing. It just doesn't get any better than that!
What fascinates me is the amount of complaining on radio, television, in the media, and among the general public about the "bad" weather.
It's interesting because, when the weather is hot in California, everyone wishes it were cooler, or that it would rain. It seems no one is satisfied -- ever. Even weather reporters regularly say, "tomorrow will be better than today! What? Who ever said that sunshine is better than rain? I never heard.
A motto
I have a saying that I hope everyone one of you will adopt, and that is this: There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. Sunny skies are beautiful, storms are magical, snow is special, and rain creates full reservoirs and beautiful plants. It's all beautiful, special and important. No one type of climate is superior -- and without all of them, we'd be sunk.
The next time it rains on your parade or your picnic, instead of griping, try to see the beauty in whatever weather is present. It's all-necessary.
Who are we to judge what weather is good and what weather is bad?
It's such a freeing experience to experience all weather as good. I go to the North Coast quite a bit in California, and it rains a lot. I sometimes sit in awe at the enormous storms that pound the windows. It's very special to me and quite inspirational.
Adopting this "There's no such thing as bad weather" philosophy, also helps you to appreciate other changing aspects of life as well.
It helps you see, for example, that there is no age that is better than another. Why, for example, would someone assume that 33 is "better" than 44. I'm 44 and wouldn't trade it for the world. The key is to start appreciating all aspects of your life, regardless of what's going on -- to learn to be more accepting of life as it is, instead of wishing it were somehow different. If you think carefully and logically about it, all of our pain stems from this fantasy we have that life would be somehow better if it were different than it is.
Luckily, the opposite is also true. Once you embrace and I mean, really embrace your life, today, just as it is coming down the pike, you'll be happier than ever before.
So go out and enjoy your day, rain or shine.
Richard Carlson, Ph.D., is the author of the runaway best-seller "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff," as well as his latest best-seller, "Easier Than You Think: Because Life Doesn't Have to Be So Hard." His Web site is www.richardcarlson.com. To submit comments or questions, write to Carlson at EasierThanYouThinkdontsweat.com.