No Matter the Weather

When a winter storm is going to blanket half the country in more than a foot of snow, all you can do is prepare and wait. We, as many did, made sure that our pantry was stocked and gathered supplies in the case of a power outage. We took the opportunity to order waterproof snow boots and gloves (for me) and a snow tube (for all of us), figuring that a couple of snow days were in our future. 

On Friday night, before the storm, two friends and I threw ourselves a joint 40th birthday party. Several folks from out of town weren’t able to make it due to worries that they may not be able to safely get home before the snow and, for a moment, we thought of canceling. Ultimately, we decided that a big party was just what we needed, and so we went all in. 

Not only was the party a success, it set me up to lean in for what was to come in the week ahead. While we didn’t get a foot of snow, we did get enough ice to make clearing the roads nearly impossible. We are currently on our seventh day of school being closed. We finally finished chiseling (not even kidding) out our driveway after four days of work. Our street is still iced over in many parts. We’ve repaired the snow tube three times. 

While there are times that the eternal snow day is overwhelming, I continue to come back to my center: grounded, calm, and present. What if this is exactly where I’m supposed to be right now? If you think this is anywhere near normal for me, it is not. Past Raven would be pulling her hair out by now. So what’s changed? 

1. I’m clear on what’s actually important to me and what requires my attention. When I am judicious and honest, the list isn’t actually all that big. 

2. I know what it takes for me to come back to myself when I start to spiral. And I have committed to implementing it. The second part has been crucial - insight without action does little to move the needle.

3. I’ve learned to skip over the busy work. Instead of getting distracted by reorganizing my Google Drive, I skip to the action that will make the most impact with the least amount of effort, like picking up the phone and making the call that I previously would have added to a to-do list. 

4. I consciously choose to be courageous when I’m scared (which happens when I try to do any of the above), and I put one foot in front of the other. Change happens through practice.

As I enter this new decade, I want to bring these lessons with me. As of now, we don’t know if school is open next week, if the roads will be plowed, if there will be another crazy storm this winter. While the circumstances may help or hinder, life changes when we choose to relate to it differently.

My invitation to you is to not wait for the storm to pass, the calendar to clear, or the fear to quiet down. Get honest about what actually matters to you, then be brave enough to take one small, deliberate step in that direction. Skip the busy work. Choose the action that counts. Practice courage even when it feels uncomfortable or inconvenient.

A life built on intention doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when we stop letting circumstances decide for us, and start deciding, again and again, who we want to be and how we want to live, no matter the weather.