Not long ago, I sat outside on a sunny but breezy afternoon, watching a bird. At first, I thought the bird was struggling against the wind, working extra hard to get back home to its food source or just to anywhere safe. But after observing for a few minutes, I realized it was interacting with the wind, not being bullied by it. It was being carried—maybe not in the direction it had planned to travel, but in a supported, energetic way.
This struck me as a beautiful metaphor for positive living.
Autumn breezes are different from spring or summer winds. There’s a bite to an October gust, a hint of impending chill, a rustling sound as drying leaves swirl in the wind. Fall air is crisp—clean but edgy.
Similarly, life blows and flurries sometimes. Challenges crop up as organically as a breeze. And if we see a gust coming at all, we might worry it will sweep us away from our foundation, from our place on the solid ground before we can make a plan to handle it.
But like the bird, we can feel carried and held by the winds of life, instead of battered by them. How? Try to cultivate these three qualities within yourself and see how they can hold you aloft in gusty times:
1) Confidence in the strength you have to hold yourself steady in the face of a squall. Sometimes all you have to do is recognize the power you already possess to stand your ground against a challenge that threatens to push you over.
2) Patience with the time it takes to reach the goals or destinations you have in mind for yourself. Recognize and accept that the prevailing winds might require a little more time to navigate than you had originally planned. Take your time, and let the breeze carry you as it will.
3) Flexibility with your life plan. Not to put too fine a point on it, but sometimes you have to see which way the wind is blowing and adjust course. Letting go of one path can be disappointing, but if you let the breeze wash over you, it might gently guide you in a new, more positive direction.
What qualities help you stay strong when life gives you a blustery day?
