How I Changed My Perspective On Winter

As I looked out my window and saw the 3 feet of snow already accumulated and the weather forecasting another 1 to 2 feet tomorrow, I made a decision.

Mother Nature was in charge; I could not bath in tropical sun much as I would love to, but I could stop whining about it and focus on what brought me enjoyment.  Let me preface this by saying that I do not like winter and to be truthful ice terrified me. Growing up in a country that would consider an inch of snow a national emergency, I never skated on outdoor ice rinks or skied in any form. But, being house bound was not an option anymore.  I decided to become a winter person for a day and see how it went.

Dressed up like Nanook of the North, I put on snowshoes that had been lying unused in the basement for years. I headed out across the yard followed by my constant companions, my dogs. I ventured not so gracefully over the snow bank that lined our driveway like a fortress. My mission was to get to my pond, it was not elegant but I finally got there.  My pond has been a place of refuge to me for many years and through many seasons; however, winter was never one of them, up until now. I admired the pond from the safety of my warm home during the winter months.

As I found myself several feet out on my pond I realized that I was walking on water, frozen maybe but icy water nonetheless. As you probably already know, single digit temperatures for many weeks’ leads to ice that you could drive a Mack truck over. But, somewhere in my head I felt sure that at any moment the ice that was under me would engulf both my dogs and me.  I started to breathe slowly and mindfully to calm my nerves. I forced myself to stay in that uncomfortable place both mentally and physically.  Then something incredible happened, I felt like I was being shown my world from a completely new and different perspective.  Everything was crisp, clean, invigorating and oh so peaceful -Well until my dogs started barking and running all around me- I ventured out further on the pond and with each step the smile on my face grew bigger and bigger.  Just for now I was having fun in the snow_ I was enjoying winter_ I felt as if I had rediscovered a well-hidden treasure, and I had. I had found a way to change my perspective on the inevitable snow that was coming, the cold days that lay ahead, I had taken what I could not control and made the choice to accept it and find a way to incorporate what I love. Find joy in nature, culture a peaceful mind, have fun with my dogs, push the boundaries of my fears, experience all that is around me.  Standing on water in the middle of my pond I had found my Zen. (The heated gloves that my better half had given me also helped.)

I wonder what you can do in situations that you cannot control and bring your focus back to how you make it work for you? What needs to shift in your world, professional and personal? We cannot control things like the weather, or many times what happens at our work or with our family.  We can choose what we focus on. I am not sure about you but focusing on what I can change instead of the things I cannot feels so much more empowering.  I am curious what you might have stored in your basement, literally or metaphorically? Hint: I am referring to your unique abilities and strengths that might be sitting forgotten in “the basement” and you could use just for today. Who knows you might even end up finding something that you once cherished and had lost sight of. I would love to hear your feedback on what works for you.