Hi there,
The past few weeks, the Bay Area has been swept by a series of atmospheric rivers, bringing with them the wettest wave of rainfall seen in ages. With these turbulent conditions, I was reminded of one of my favorite sayings: “people are just like the weather,” constantly absorbed in a storm of emotions, impossible to accurately forecast.
There is just one key difference: our reaction. We accept weather for what it is – spontaneous, unpredictable, and beyond our control. But when it comes to other people’s behaviors, opinions, and actions, we are quickly consumed by frustration and judgment (“They should know better!” or “They shouldn’t be doing that!”). However, if we learn to accept our lack of control, it becomes much easier to ride these waves of emotions. This is the only way to survive (and even thrive) in the eye of the storm, observing the chaos surrounding us without being consumed by it.
But how do we get to this point? Let’s learn by taking a look at last week’s sessions:
🧠 Mindfulness Monday
Nothing feels more relevant to acceptance than this quote by the Dalai Lama: “If there is no solution to the problem then don’t waste time worrying about it. If there is a solution to the problem then don’t waste time worrying about it.” Either way, there is no point of worrying because it doesn’t actually help the situation at hand. It only makes the storm clouds darker.
🔍 Attention Training Tuesday
Although we cannot control gusts of feelings, we can control which ones we focus on. And these are the ones that subsequently rewire our brains. A helpful analogy for understanding this process is an attention coin that has two sides:
Concentration: Repeatedly focusing on experiences of our choosing creates new connections between neurons (this is called synaptogenesis).
Letting go: Resisting engaging with experiences we don’t enjoy unwires existing connections between neurons (this is called pruning).
🗒️ Journaling Wednesday
One motto that pushed Nelson Mandela through the hardships of Apartheid is “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” No matter how inhumanely he was treated by others, he knew that ultimately, he was still the only one in control of his own destiny. To try channeling this resilience in our own lives, we answered some journaling prompts on how we can captain our own ships through seas of uncertainty.
🙏 Thankfulness Thursday
Humans are subject to stormy emotions but they also experience sunny days, too. According to Robert Emmons, the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, there are two stages to not only experiencing but embracing this good weather:
Acknowledgment of the goodness in one’s life
Recognizing that this goodness lies outside of oneself
🏆 Practical Friday
What is the point of getting mad at someone (or even ourselves) for turbulent feelings? There is none. Not to mention, there is usually a very real reason behind these reactions, no matter how amplified they may be. A better approach is to foster compassion by recognizing what is causing suffering and cultivating a heartfelt desire to alleviate it.
Join 15 Minutes of Positivity Today!
To navigate your way to the eye of the storm, be sure to join our 15 Minutes of Positivity sessions every Monday - Friday at 12:00 PST. The best part is: it’s free! For more information or to sign up, click here. And as always, please reach out if you have any questions.
Thank you for giving this a read! Until next time.