Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Summer

I'm not sure where the summer went this year. It seems like it hardly started and already it's over! Of course, being gone for a couple of months early on in the summer might be part of it! But still, we've had a lot of cool weather and more than our share of rain and drizzle this summer. Today is no different, with clouds and rain and a raw wind. It feels a lot more like Fall than the last dog days of summer.

I always find it amazing how the weather can influence our moods. Waking up in the morning to beaming sunshine coming in the window inspires me to get out of bed, get on my bike and get out into nature. Waking up to grey clouds and the sound of rain on the roof, just make be want to stay in bed... or if I do get up, to curl up in front of a roaring fire with a good book! But... and there's always a but!!... maybe I need to knock this on its head and get that my mood is not necessarily linked to the weather! The world is what I make of it. My reaction to things is just my reaction to things and has nothing to do with the "thing" itself. I was sitting there one morning, grumbling to myself about "things"... and then suddenly realized what I was doing... and realized all the things I had to be grateful for! A roof or my head, warm clothes, a furnace heating the house, good food, etc... So much to be grateful for... and that attitude of gratitude does create a shift... Being grateful for what we have in our current situation, whatever it might be... grateful for the gift of breath... grateful for the gift of sight... grateful for the gift of touch...

I find that when I'm reporting, explaining, describing.... when I am blaming and complaining... the thing that can shift me the quickest is gratitude...