The Weather of Life
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For some, rain means fun!
The Weather of Life
Does the weather influence our mood, thoughts, and actions?
I would say, yes.
But the more interesting question is: Does the soul have weather?
I would say, yes.
Last week I had sugar cravings for almost a week. Initially, I felt like I was losing my weight loss momentum. Rather than resisting the temptation, which seemed much more difficult than usual, I indulged in some form of sugary treat in an attempt to satisfy the craving. I was wondering if my body was trying to push me back into a Cookie Monster lifestyle. However, after about seven days or so, the cravings went away and I was back to what I would consider my new normal, which is low sugar.
What Does It Mean?
There are times when life can be very difficult for an extended period of time, even months or years. These are seasons. And seasons end. That’s the bright side. No difficult season lasts forever.
However, this sugar craving made me ponder the idea of small storms. Something that lasts for a few days or a week but then passes. Like rain for a few days.
Key Ideas
I’m still processing this idea, like all my ideas and analogies. But a few things did help me.
Have a baseline that reflects your expectation of how you should feel about what you’re doing. I have a baseline for my diet. If I veer away, I have a belief that I will come back, it’s just a matter of time and weather.
If you feel like quitting, give it time to pass. If you’re tired of working on a long-term project, micro-quit. Put it aside for a while, until the weather changes (back to baseline).
If resisting something that affects your baseline isn't working like it usually does, maybe it's ok to indulge in the unwanted behavior (if it's not unhealthy). Micro indulge. That is, indulge, but don’t binge.
Maybe the key idea is to adapt to the weather of our inner life. Recognize that it changes from day to day. Or a weather pattern gets interrupted on occasion.
We might want switches that turn things on and off. But I haven’t found anything that makes us instantly change.
Finally
Adopting a new lifestyle can take a while to form a new normal.
I am learning to not judge (feel bad about) my state or progress by my current challenges.
Our emotional state, and our cravings for various things can be influenced by many factors. As a practitioner of following your dreams, I don’t think it’s that important to understand the medical or psychological reasons behind this. Although I would love to know! Again, it's like the weather. It might be cloudy and muggy for a few days, but the sun will come back.
Remember your baseline.
Allow the weather to pass.
Maybe put on your rain boots, and splash around a bit.
To your success!
James Wilder
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