Working with the Elements

For anyone living in the Northeast, it's been a washout of a spring/early summer.  It's as if all those times we sang "rain, rain, go away, come again another day," added up to a whole lot of "another days" all at once.  For this summer gal, who has a hard enough time making it through the winter, it's been tough.  I had to scrap my plans for creating an outdoor living space in our back porch area. Why make the effort when the summer is now only going to be 8 weeks?  Even my new hammock has only been used once.

I was so close to giving up outdoor pursuits and succumbing to Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Then, I decided to try "going with the flow."  My family and I figured if we can't beat the rain, we'll work with it.  Here's how we're doing it:

1. Adopting a new fashion statement - Wellies and shorts.  Nothing is more fun than some brightly colored rainboots (especially when you're puddle hopping).
2. Running in the rain - Surprisingly, it's not so bad jogging in the rain when you're just going to shower later anyhow.  A really good waterproof coat makes it even more do-able (and two pairs of running shoes so they can dry out between runs).
3. Surfing - While I have yet to partake, my kids and husband do, and if you're in the water with a wetsuit, who cares if it's raining?
4. Growing grass - After giving up on the rest of the outdoor improvements, I refocused my attention on growing grass. What better time to create a natural, chemical-free lush lawn than a solid month of rain?

As soon as I stopped fighting the elements, my outlook improved.  Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the weather.  But, I now know that I'll be able to make through until the sun comes out again.

Working with the elements is something we all need to do, and not just with the weather.  Especially when we find ourselves fighting the elements at work.

Yes, it may be an old boys' club, but rather than having a chip on our shoulder, maybe we need to find out ways to work with it, or around it.  What if you have a corporate downsizing bearing down on you?  Perhaps it's time to see about taking on new and different projects to learn new skills.  Leaders tend to rise to the top during crises.  Facing a never-ending job hunt?  Stop beating yourself up and take the opportunity to try something new.

We're all faced with challenges, but sometimes we need to step back and consider whether we're spending too much of our energy fighting against the elements, when we could be channeling that energy into using the elements to our advantage.

Diane K. Danielson
ceo, Downtown Women's Club

Comments

[reiko]

It would seem that you were talking to me, so true!!

Thank you, I enjoy how your storytelling, blending & associating life skills & business.

[Janie C Jessee]

Isn't true - one's attitude makes or breaks the day! Wasn't it Dolly Parton who made the comment something like - " you gotta have the rain in order to have the rainbows"....anyway, something like that!
Janie

[Nancy Loderick]

Great post Diane. It is so true that we can't control certain events, but we can certainly control how we think about them.

That being said, I sure wish this rain would stop :).