Maybe it's just me, but over the past few days, here in Toronto, the weather has been less than optimal; Wednesday being the worst of them. Dark, cloudy, humid, rainy, just plain blah.
Can weather dictate our emotions? Do we have a choice? Can we choose to make the most of the day?
For me, this week I have let the weather dictate my emotions.
Unlike some people, I have a window in my office (although it feels more like a prison cell window because of the metal bars and such, but I digress). Throughout the day I catch myself looking out the window to see if the sun is shining, or if it's still cloudy. When the sun shines through it brightens my whole office and I feel a lot better. But, if it's dark and the lights in my office are lighting it up then I just feel a little down.
It's crazy how the weather can hamper my outlook on the day. Some may say it's just coincidence, but I don't.
When I wake up in the morning what do I choose? Do I choose to say that 'regardless of the weather I am going to have a great day'? Sometimes, yes. Other times, no.
I have been doing something at the end of each day to help me with being thankful for the day. Shortly after 9 o'clock pm each day I sit down at my kitchen table and right down a number of things: emotions I had, attitudes I recognized, old habits I am trying to let go of, and any other things that come to mind. At the end of my writing comes the part that always brings my spirits up, the gratitude list. No matter how bad of a day I have had (they have not been the best over the past week) I always right the things that I am grateful for that day. What seems to happen is I see the positive things that happened in that day. As crazy as it sounds if I only write that I am grateful for life, that is an amazing thing to be thankful for.
It makes me remember that days are given not just to complain about the bad things, but are given for us to learn and be grateful for simple, just another day.
I have had a pretty blah week. My emotions have been up and down, but through it all I have seen things that I can be grateful for.
Can weather dictate emotions? Yes, we can let it dictate our emotions, and I have sure let it dictate mine this week, but the greater thing to remember is to just be thankful and grateful for what we have.
We have so much and yet we are always complaining here in Canada. Why is that? My answer: because we never think about the things that we are grateful for; we let the negative things control our minds instead of letting the positive things flow from our mouths
Why do you think we are always complaining?
Let me hear what you have to think.
Till next time.
Can weather dictate our emotions? Do we have a choice? Can we choose to make the most of the day?
For me, this week I have let the weather dictate my emotions.
Unlike some people, I have a window in my office (although it feels more like a prison cell window because of the metal bars and such, but I digress). Throughout the day I catch myself looking out the window to see if the sun is shining, or if it's still cloudy. When the sun shines through it brightens my whole office and I feel a lot better. But, if it's dark and the lights in my office are lighting it up then I just feel a little down.
It's crazy how the weather can hamper my outlook on the day. Some may say it's just coincidence, but I don't.
When I wake up in the morning what do I choose? Do I choose to say that 'regardless of the weather I am going to have a great day'? Sometimes, yes. Other times, no.
I have been doing something at the end of each day to help me with being thankful for the day. Shortly after 9 o'clock pm each day I sit down at my kitchen table and right down a number of things: emotions I had, attitudes I recognized, old habits I am trying to let go of, and any other things that come to mind. At the end of my writing comes the part that always brings my spirits up, the gratitude list. No matter how bad of a day I have had (they have not been the best over the past week) I always right the things that I am grateful for that day. What seems to happen is I see the positive things that happened in that day. As crazy as it sounds if I only write that I am grateful for life, that is an amazing thing to be thankful for.
It makes me remember that days are given not just to complain about the bad things, but are given for us to learn and be grateful for simple, just another day.
I have had a pretty blah week. My emotions have been up and down, but through it all I have seen things that I can be grateful for.
Can weather dictate emotions? Yes, we can let it dictate our emotions, and I have sure let it dictate mine this week, but the greater thing to remember is to just be thankful and grateful for what we have.
We have so much and yet we are always complaining here in Canada. Why is that? My answer: because we never think about the things that we are grateful for; we let the negative things control our minds instead of letting the positive things flow from our mouths
Why do you think we are always complaining?
Let me hear what you have to think.
Till next time.
I absolutely love this post! I love the honesty and transparency in it. It's funny, looking back on that first week of October. That Wednesday was my 29th birthday, and I didn't even remember what the weather was like! I had a fantastic week, just for the reason that I was alive and it was my birthday. Andrew, although you say you were gloomy, I could see your earnestness in trying to work past it. And YOU made my birthday week wonderful, I look back on it with love and appreciation.
ReplyDeleteFor sure, I agree, that the weather plays a huge role in our emotions. The energy around us is different and in rain there is an air of frustration, desperation, and just plain grouchyness. One thing i'm thankful for in all this is that when it's raining my automatic learned response from childhood is that of joy. I love rain! And I thank my mom for this. When it rained in my childhood it was exciting and fun, I was encouraged to paint and do art inside, or just go outside anyway. Coming back all wet and dirty was completely fine.
The answer to the last question on complaining I believe, in part, comes from low self-esteem. This is a truth I have learned at least in my own life, through my thoughts and behaviour. I used to play the role of the victim most of the time and have a general 'why does all the bad stuff happen to me' type attitude. But recently i've learned to see myself positively and not be ashamed of the wonderful person I am. And I have found my tendency to complain and highlight the negative has worn thin. I'm so thankful for this!
I recall a quote I read a couple weeks ago.
"Humans get depressed; you have to be alive to feel depressed. Rocks don't get depressed. Without the capacity to feel depression you wouldn't have the capacity to feel joy."
-Anonymous