The Weather - Don't Be A Wage Slave

The weather has a disproportionate effect on all of us. When it is a brilliant sunny day — not too hot and not too cold — we respond well. If it is cool and dark winter weather, however, we have the tendencyto be not so brilliant and joyous. Why is this? There are many physiological reasons for this phenomenon.

The major way we perceive the weather, however — or the day, for that matter — is through the mind: perception. (1) I deem it to be a grand day, a great day; it is, regardless of the circumstances. You can think of a time when the weather truly didn’t matter. Perhaps you had an appointment, or were in love and had to be with your beloved. There are many telling times in life when the external is truly trumped by the internal recognition of something more important, more valuable.

How, then, does one appeal to this side of the self, such that external phenomena truly do not matter? It must undoubtedly begin with an understanding of consciousness — my consciousness. If I am not here in this reality, then I do not have to be concerned with the mundane or the day-to-day. The real secret is to possess the kind of personal power that allows one to truly be autonomous — an independent agent in the grand unfolding of reality.

Recently, I was in Vancouver, conversing with a man who claimed that he was seventy-five years old. Now, looking at the brightness of his eyes and the tone of his skin, you would have placed him at a far younger age. He was a chemical engineer by training and had traveled all over the world in his career. Listening to him speak, you would conclude that travel is one component — one piece of the puzzle — that allows you to view the external as important. Voyaging is necessary to help you develop an internal understanding that we are all the same. When I cut my hand — whether I am pink, orange, black, or blue — the blood that flows out is red.

He also continued to be physically active. He was off on a bicycle trip around Morocco as we spoke.

Another man I conversed with was equally interesting. He had been born in Japan and had lived there until he was ten years old. He shared his thoughts on the stoicism of the Japanese — the necessity of retaining one’s face, your personal dignity, in the face of adversity. Drinking too much alcohol, for example, is acceptable if you do not become a monster — if you simply nod off slowly into an intoxicated slumber.

An equally edifying experience was riding on the bus. I sat beside a stunningly good-looking woman of seventy or so. From her comportment and family history, I would say her estate was expropriated by Poland after World War II. (2) They were forced to move to a reconstituted Germany with absolutely nothing. Some five years later, she came to Canada, married, and started a new life. She had overcome tremendous adversity, and yet still “held her head high.”

Juxtaposed across the aisle were two drug addicts — one in a wheelchair, having, I assume, lost a leg to addiction. They looked incredibly sick. What made their internal lives so painful that they destroyed their external reality? I don’t know. But in the end, it is up to the self to control the inner demons, isn’t it? We all have them. So, in the end, when I awake in the morning, I can decide whether it is a good day or a bad day. Controlling my feelings about the weather is an interesting way to begin. Seneca (3) leaves us with a thought: A change of scene (or weather) won’t fix internal emotional issues; the remedy must come from within, managing your “inner climate.”

A closing thought:Modern society wants us to apologize: Oh, I was an addict because I was abused as a child; I was never loved; I was born poor, of the wrong ethnicity — in the wrong city; the list goes on and on and is overwhelming, actually. In the end, it is solely up to me — my mind, the way I face consciousness. I must have a deep desire to educate myself physically, psychologically, and spiritually.

If I do this properly, I will be responsible for me and my emotions. My moods and emotions, how I respond to a situation, are a matter of choice, no matter how hard this is to fully comprehend. There is thus joy even in a downpouring rain.

To sum up: This week, we spoke about my emotions and how I control them.

To be noted: From Zig Ziglar (4) — You cannot tailor-make the situations in life, but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.

Just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swloMVFALXw&list=RDswloMVFALXw&start_radio=1

For reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sQ_cfZ8q9k

This week, when walking in the rain, please take a moment to reflect on how you feel today.

Every day, look for something magical and beautiful.

Don’t be a wage slave –critical thinking is great!