Before you begin this article, I suggest that, if it’s not raining wherever you are, you play RainyMood in the background to create the right kind of atmosphere. Done? Okay, carry on.
I am sure you have heard many times that “storms don’t last forever” as a motivational quote for getting through tough times. It’s a great quote; don’t get me wrong. It’s true: storms can only last so long and you cannot stop them prematurely or make them go any faster. You can only wait until they are over. And I get it. Everyone who says something like this means well. They’re trying to give you hope about whatever trial you’re going through by letting you know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, no one ever tells you what to do while it’s still storming.
Yes, there’s the quote “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” Yes, it’s beautiful. Yes, it’s poetic. But is it actually helpful? No. That’s our problem: we are really good at coming with positive, self-help quotations, but not with anything practical. I am all for positive psychology and how our thoughts affect our attitude. It is super important. Yet, there is a distinct emphasis on inspirational quotations and less on what we can actually do in our situations. Obviously, the only thing we have control over is our attitude, but sometimes, we can’t dance in the rain. We like to pretend we can change anything we put our minds to, but the truth is we can't. Sometimes, it’s storming so hard that being outside is dangerous. Sometimes, you get sick. Sometimes, you just can’t work up the motivation to get out of bed, much less leave the house to dance.
Storms are not when the sky is overcast and it’s drizzling. Storms are when it’s dark and the world rumbles with thunder and you don’t know where or when lightning will strike, but you know it’s coming. Storms are when the rain is pouring so hard you can’t see what’s in front of you and the wind knocks you around so your perception of the world is unstable and constantly changing. I don’t know about you, but I can’t dance when I can’t even stand.
So, what do you do when it’s storming? Do you wait for the storm to end, locked inside your house and choosing to do nothing because you’re utterly helpless? Do you dance in the rain to prove a point to the storm (which, quite frankly, doesn’t care what you do, so it’s all for your own peace of mind)? I’d like to propose another choice for you: when there’s a storm, don’t do either. Don’t wait for an indefinite period of time and don’t pretend it doesn’t affect you. Instead, learn how to live in the storm.
It won’t be the same as life on a sunny day, of course. Adjustments have to be made. If the electricity goes out, do you sit in the darkness or do you choose to light a candle? Take however long you need to search through the darkness to find the candle (or to turn on a phone/flashlight, if you’re more high-tech than a candle), but tell me you will eventually or you’ll let someone else find one. If the rain and wind lets up for a bit and the skies lighten, do you stay inside out of fear that it will start again or do you take advantage of it and jump in some puddles or just get some fresh air? Again, take however long you need to soothe that fear. Don’t push yourself to go out, but don’t limit yourself to staying in.
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