Fair Weather Fan ~ Blue Skies are a State of Mind

We all do it.  Whenever there's a lag in small talk or an awkward silence, we become meteorologists.  Conversation turns to the weather - something we either bitch about, or revel in. If the weather is less than ideal, we complain about it.  Complaining about the weather is just that - complaining. Complaining on a gray day only makes me feel drab. HUMBUG!

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, blue skies are a state of mind.  There aren't enough clouds on the planet that can take away my joy if I'm happy.  The same holds true if I'm unhappy.  When I was at the lowest point of my life, when I felt all alone in the world, not even the bluest sky could ease my sorrows.........until I found gratitude.

Once I learned that, without gratitude, happiness was just a temporary feeling brought on by superficial things or superficial people (those I was trying to impress or please, that didn't really matter to me).  I had to experience a painful loss in order to find my gratitude.  Not until I had the fortunate opportunity to look at life through the eyes of sorrow and loss, was I able to truly find an appreciation for the life I have and the people who are a part of it.  I no longer got irritated by the little things.  The things that once bothered me, like an overflowing garbage can at home or someone cutting me off in traffic, now seem insignificant.

The key to my happiness was gratitude - being grateful for what I already had is what unlocked the door that held me captive in my past hurts.  Gratitude changed my forecast.  Today, the weatherman says the skies will be gray and the air cold and damp, but for me the skies are blue and my life is filled with the warmth that radiates from my joyful heart.

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow." ~ Helen Keller