I stood at the garden door tonight and watched lightening gouge narrow troughs through the night sky. Soon the rain came and I opened the back door so I could hear the storm music on the roof a little better.
We don't have gutters, so when the rain comes rushing off the eves it splatters on the deck. Standing there tonight, rain splattered on my legs and it felt good.
I know many of us have been whining about the heat, but the days are growing steadily shorter and soon we'll be cursing the north wind and ice on our windshields.
We'll be thinking about things we could do if only the sun would shine and warm the day.
A lesson that would serve us all well is to be content with now. No matter what's happening on the outside, if we could learn to find contentment on the inside, I think we'd all lead happier lives.
Being content with now is not easy. For the most part, we are where we are right now because of the decisions we've made. That can be a bitter pill to swallow. It's much easier to blame the weather, the spouse, the parents, the boss, the government, or something else outside for our unhappiness.
Viktor K. Frankl who lived through Nazi concentration camps and withstood unspeakable horror, said one of the most profound things I've ever read in my life -- "The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitudes."
I think we all need to remember these words the next time we feel compelled to whine about the weather.
We don't have gutters, so when the rain comes rushing off the eves it splatters on the deck. Standing there tonight, rain splattered on my legs and it felt good.
I know many of us have been whining about the heat, but the days are growing steadily shorter and soon we'll be cursing the north wind and ice on our windshields.
We'll be thinking about things we could do if only the sun would shine and warm the day.
A lesson that would serve us all well is to be content with now. No matter what's happening on the outside, if we could learn to find contentment on the inside, I think we'd all lead happier lives.
Being content with now is not easy. For the most part, we are where we are right now because of the decisions we've made. That can be a bitter pill to swallow. It's much easier to blame the weather, the spouse, the parents, the boss, the government, or something else outside for our unhappiness.
Viktor K. Frankl who lived through Nazi concentration camps and withstood unspeakable horror, said one of the most profound things I've ever read in my life -- "The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitudes."
I think we all need to remember these words the next time we feel compelled to whine about the weather.
I whine about EVERYTHING- That is pretty much what my blog is all about- White whine!!
ReplyDeleteI can't whine about the weather lately however- it's been too damned perfect!
Very well said sir... but i can say that for the last 13 months of my life, I am well blessed. I have love how the season changes. my first autumn, my first winter, my first spring... i love them. and the summer that brings me back home.
ReplyDeletein life, i have struggled so much. but now at 41yo i am slowly harvesting what i have planted.
Thank you God!
JJRod'z
What a lovely quote!!! thank you!
ReplyDeleteI really just want the seasons to behave like the seasons they're supposed to be! LOL! Take care
x
You are right, it is so easy to blame others for the way we feel and most of us do just that. But the truth is, we choose to feel, to react emotionally to whatever stimulus. The same words said can make us laugh or be angry or sad. It all comes from within. I try mostly to be content, to live in the now.
ReplyDeleteI love that quote. I also need to learn to enjoy what I have instead of always looking forward to when it will 'get better'. Thinking about it now makes me realise that, except for one thing, my life is pretty awesome :)
ReplyDeleteKudos to you! Say on, my brother. I read Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning, some years back and was also struck by that quote.
ReplyDeleteRight now, my son is unable to leave his bed 24/7, and yet most days he chooses to be cheerful, polite and focused. He keeps me humble ....and mostly content. :)
Leads to some very introspective thinking...
ReplyDeleteMerci~
I don't tend to think past the now anyway! And I guarantee when the weather turns cold, I will not complain. I grew up with a lot of snow and ice and I love it.
ReplyDeleteyour words are amazing. i hope to find half the depth to write on that level as I progress. Thank you :)
ReplyDelete