We have been deluged by heavy rains in the city for the last couple of days. The summer sun has been beating down on us for a long time, and the rains have come as a welcome relief to many, driving the temperature down and quenching the thirst of the parched earth. We often find ourselves at the mercy of the elements, both literally and figuratively. The incessant rollercoaster that has become our personal life adds pressure to the already heated nature of our work lives.
We constantly encounter people who affect the weather in our mindscape, whether it’s a stormy exchange with someone who’s trying to rain on our parade, somebody throwing shade at something that we hold dear, or that ‘whitewalker’ (Game of Thrones reference for the uninitiated) who’s throwing ice daggers at us with every glance. And unfortunately, there is no Met Department to warn us about these sudden changes in weather. Which means if we aren’t carrying our umbrella of mental protection or our jacket shield to ward off the cold, then we can be caught off-guard. And a perfectly pleasant day can transform very quickly into a hailstorm.
The old cliche is true, others can affect us, only we give them that power over us. In today’s unpredictable world, it’s vitally important that we have the ability to preserve our centre of gravity, without letting unkindness knock the wind out of our sails. Whilst one may argue that mental make up is congenital or a function of conditioning, there are things that we can do to bolster our defences. Spiritual practices provide excellent grounding, besides a broad perspective, which helps us navigate situations without becoming overly caught up or affected by them.
Ego is an essential self-preservation device, but at the same time, it’s important that we don’t take ourselves too seriously all the time. One must have a sense of humour and the ability to laugh off inconsequential unpleasantness, rather than letting us get to us, and expending our precious energy responding, or worse still reacting to every stimulus. It’s only when we are comfortable in our own skins, and don’t suffer from a need for constant validation, that this is possible. Trying to please everyone is a certain recipe for misery.
The weather controls so much of how we feel, a cold dark day can cause us to feel rather depressed, whereas even a hint of sunshine is enough to lift our spirits. Wouldn’t it be magical if rather than constantly lugging around jackets and umbrellas, we could carry our own weather ? So if you’re done letting energy vampires live rent-free in your heads, take a deep breath, experience the divinity that pervades within and resolve never to get caught up in a rainshower of someone’s else’s making!
