It's Raining, Men!
No…No 80’s dance party today. We’re talking real weather, not The Weather Girls. Specifically, we’re talking weather and how it relates to our attitude, desire, motivation, mood, and so forth.
First, we must set forth some general ground rules. I would not necessarily consider them laws or absolute facts, but general ideas of cognitive behavior that I believe to be true -
1. Conscious thought can be controlled.
2. Thoughts generated in the subconscious can be influenced by repetition of conscious thought.
3. Circumstance should not always dictate conscious thought.
If you are skeptical of the above ground rules, by all means, question. To question is a good thing, and more and better questions can many times lead to more and better answers. I suggest you consult any of the many studies that link the power of the conscious and subconscious mind to just about everything we do in life – I would specifically recommend any studies dealing with placebos and how the mind, and thoughts in general, can heal the body. If truly intrigued, research fake surgeries and the mind. There are many fascinating studies to be found that link the mind, immune system, and our biology at the cellular level. Mind Over Mind by Chris Berdik was and is a game changer for me. Read it and you will never think of your mind in the same way again!
It is has been cold lately on the east coast…cold relative to Virginia standards of course. But for the context of the article, it could be raining, snowing, or a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine. As OutKast once said,
“You can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather”
No worries, my “picnic” continues.
I stay hungry. Hot or cold, rain or shine, through snow, sleet, hail, high winds, and droughts of various kinds, my picnic continues. The show as they say…must go on. Weather has little if any effect on me. As a man who strives to live my life at Maximum Velocity, I control (or like to think I control) my thoughts, my beliefs, my actions, and I would like to believe I have a bit of influence on my results as well. I work daily to ensure that the weather influences none of the aforementioned personal characteristics.
It seems as though many are held captive by the weather, and cannot help themselves when they complain to their friends about such things. Can it. Those of us grounded by deeper roots spring forth pillars of positive strength regardless of certain atmospheric conditions.
What kind of person are you? How well do you police your self-talk, your thoughts? Do you sympathize with the weather bugs regarding the doldrums of the day?
Of the following, which person are you?
A friend of yours: “Hey man how you doing?”
You: “Hanging in there, this weather is awful though, I hate the rain.”
A friend of yours: “Yeah I know, it is a bummer, and it is supposed to rain all week.”
Or…..
A friend of yours: “Man, this rain is awful. How are you doing?”
You (cool and confident…no arrogance): “Excelling. Checking off my to-do list and getting after it. I rock and roll daily...You?”
A friend of yours: “Uh...well…umm...hmm...”
This type of response is not hard to train yourself to say and more importantly to believe, and to believe with passion at the cellular level. Our brains are similar to muscles in this regard, and yes, as you may have guessed, I do believe in neuroplasticity. “Exercise” the brain more often in a certain way and it will become stronger in that way. This is basic neuroplasticity, and studies have shown that the brain will develop down the path that it is “exercised.” Think more of something and your brain finds it “easier” to continue thinking that way. We are creatures of habit, and by making this response a habit we are more apt to believe it, to live it.
Make the effort today to change your thoughts. Make the effort to become one that is not easily influenced by the weather, if at all. I am not talking aviation bravado and flying through storms here, I am talking every day thoughts and actions dealing with a little rain here, a little cold there, a little hot and hazy and so on and so forth. Change your thoughts, change your mind, and ultimately change your life. Weather has little if any effect on the mental state of one who lives at Maximum Velocity.
As a final thought, take into consideration this article, ranking the world’s cities according to the number of billionaires in their midst. As we examine the list, New York City, Moscow, Hong Kong, London, and Beijing round out the top 5 cities for billionaire inhabitants. Los Angeles, for as much ballyhoo as we make regarding the great weather in Southern California, ranks a very distant 13th. Consider that Hong Kong averages 94 inches of rain per year, Los Angeles only 12. Consider that Moscow averages 19 degrees in February, Los Angeles nearly 60!
Someone forgot to tell the billionaires in Moscow that “bad” weather affects their energy, mood, and motivation!
And thus...who are you at the cellular level? Does the weather dictate your happiness, mood, and motivation? How deep are your roots of desire? If shallow, perhaps the passing rains will wash away your energy for the day? If your roots run deep, and you are anchored by true passion and motivation, you are better prepared to weather the passing storms that will undoubtedly come and live your life at Maximum Velocity.
