Quirk that unlocks your flow: why I love Weird Weather

“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”

– Langston Hughes

Years ago, I dated a man from South Africa, and he said that he never met a group of people who talked about the weather more than Canadians. That may be true, and perhaps it's because of its changeability, which surprises even those of us who've been here all our lives.

Truth is, I'm in awe of the weather. It is powerful, shifting, regenerative. It's mysterious, curious, unexpected and humbling, the expression of our earth's spirit.

My quirk: I prefer Weird Weather to Sunshine...

“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.”

– Author Unknown

I live in a condo downtown and I work at home. I don't own a car, I rent. I grew up in a ski town “up north” and have done lots of driving in nutty weather. I've had grueling commutes, too and I didn't like it. So for the past number of years, I've been designing my life to be simpler.

I don't like sunshine much. I love the Weird Weather that is Canada. What I've noticed is that my response to Weird Weather, is not only joyful, but it plunges me into a creative and intuitive heart connection. The most amazing ideas come in. Solutions to long-standing problems. Insights. Guidance.

What's sunshine to me? Too much pressure, to perform. To be “out there”. It makes my eyes squinty, my body hot, and it sharpens the shadows on my face. Instead of drawing me in, opening the doors of my heart, sunshine’s voice is high and shrill, slamming it shut.

But! When the clouds are black and the sun casts shadows (at once — it's so cool), I crane my head to watch with curiosity. When it hails in the morning, rains rumbling thunder at breakfast, and a white haze of sun greets me for lunch, I'm in heaven. I wonder what's coming, I ponder the possibilities, I see change. I feel more in touch with nature, yes... but also with myself.

Except for my hair that cannot be tamed at such times (frizz fest), I love the weird weather and often, I go out in it. What I've noticed is that while fewer people are out on the streets at such times, the ones that are... are like me.

The power to connect us with ourselves

“The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it...”

– Nicholas Sparks

Years ago, I lived on a street with big trees and there was an ice storm. Trees were destroyed, laying like carcasses on the street. Yet many people came out of their houses in awe. Greeted their neighbours.

On Toronto's recent severe storm watch day, I got out some knee high snow boots, my Canadian “armour” and went for a walk in my neighbourhood. The cars were slipping and sliding (oy — I do feel for the commuters), but the folks walking their downtown doggies, strolling to the market, we saw one another. We looked each other in the eye. We smiled at each other, as if we shared a secret.

In case you've ever wondered why horrible disasters happen, think of it this way. Without minimizing the pain that disasters can create, what the predictable mainstream doesn't cover are neighbours, meeting for the first time, taking others into their homes. The community. The breakdown into Oneness.

When I'm blessed with Weird Weather, I feel as if something big is about to happen. That yes, perhaps, the world is changing for the good. There's breath, movement, the unexpected. I feel as if I'm part of the change. That I've dodged the static, followed my own way, and been offered a glimmer of truth.

Moments where guidance comes, and serendipity rules

“The river is everywhere.”

– Hermann Hesse

You'll never see me gush about the sunshine, but you may see me write again about the shapes of clouds, their colours, how they move, the softness of the light that shines through and their endless forms.

You may see me write about the times I've walked in the rain, returning home drenched to the skin by choice. Or the winters where I've trudged down by the lake, before the snowplows came.

For you see, these are the times for me that ideas come, that solutions present themselves, that tipping point choices are made, the times I feel most alive. This is one of the ways I tap in, for my business, my relationships and my life.

What's your Weird Weather?

“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.”

– Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat

Perhaps you love the sunshine's warmth, or the jungle heat. Maybe it's your animal totem that guides you. Maybe it's children, or meditation, an intellectual Think Tank, or joining with others on the streets for change, fists raised.

Maybe it's immersing yourself in your art, your craft, your mode of expression, or song. Maybe it's following the serendipitous flow to your Beloved.

What kind of Weather (the metaphor) does your heart relate to most? What brings out the delight in you? The Life? In what kind of weather do you feel most connected?

Recognize it when it comes. Visit often. Design your life, so that it's easy to drink from its flow. For there, await the treasures that will guide you.

Meaning of life articles for your heart. Created with love.

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