I just finished teaching a two-day leadership class for women this week, and the topic of weather came up. Weather, in the sense that we carry our weather around with us, it’s a manufactured emotion that either buoys us up or keeps us in a state of unhappiness.
For instance, have you ever known someone who, if it’s a beautiful day out, is optimistic and happy? But if it’s gloomy, rainy and cold, their attitude is depressed and despondent?
The problem is when we are susceptible to outside circumstances, we don’t just make ourselves miserable; our negative attitude is contagious. Our mirror neurons–a type of brain cell that is activated both when performing an action and when observing another individual performing the same action–helps us share emotions and feelings. And when someone we work closely with or are associated with feels unhappy or down, we start to feel those same emotions.
The solution is to be aware and pay attention to what we’re thinking and saying to ourselves, and create a state of mind that reflects how we want to feel. As an example, if imagining a spectacular spring day creates a feeling of joy, then that’s the mind set we want to create for ourselves in order to handle the inevitable challenges we all face. It’s creating an inner state of mind that can withstand all the elements.
Another strategy is to be in a constant state of appreciation. Taking two minutes to appreciate what we have goes a long way in creating a buffer against frustration, negativity and stress. Our every day actions help us create a state of mind that enables us to become what we need, regardless of the circumstances.
Oscar Wilde said it best: “The problem is not in what we do, but in what we become.”
