Today is February 12, 2019 and a snow storm is barreling down on us from the south west. It is expected to hit our area about 11am with up to 18 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain. To be honest, most everyone is pretty fed up with this kind of weather. We are all itching for that first warm blast of Spring to sweep over the area. But instead, we are awaiting the storm.
In years gone by, February has been a month when sap buckets were hung, my favorite trout streams began their early melt and I started my garden indoors. Numerous seed trays went in my south facing windows, and I drew up plans for how to set up my garden. Best of all, my motorcycle could be taken out for a few early runs on nice days. This year, however, it’s been very different. We have had one snow storm, and freezing rain storm, after another. Local schools have used up their allotment of snow days, and snowplow drivers are not only piling up snow, but also piling up overtime hours, and cash in their bank accounts.
The truth is, the storm itself is not such a big deal. This is the Northeast, and we all know that snow storms in winter is just part of life. However, waiting for it’s arrival is what causes all the problem. People begin to panic as the weather reports pour in, and speculation of how bad it “could be” fills the air. The possibility of what might happen, as reported by over-eager meteorologists, sets the stage. It drives people to buy extra supplies, up grade their snow blowers, buy extra gas, and even purchase expensive generators they don’t need, just in case. Then the snow comes and it is not nearly as bad a predicted. Everyone breaths a sigh of relief as another “snowmagedon” has been avoided, and life returns to normal.
The point in all of this is quite simple. Anticipation of an approaching storm, and the fear of what “might” happen, that it evokes within us, is usually worse than the actual storm itself. Beyond that, how we react to what “might be”, is a storm all it’s own. When our anxious thoughts of something control us emotionally ahead of time, we bring a storm upon ourselves, long before the real storm actually gets there. This means we take a double hit, and the enemy of our soul just loves it. We are actually helping him with the torment of our own life! This is because the first storm is imaginary, it’s a mind storm. We create and live through that one, all by ourselves. The second storm is the real deal, and we all face that one, and go through it to the end, one step at a time.
Every mind storm holds us prisoner. We end up living in the grip of imagined possibilities that have no real substance. Every real storm holds our attention. We do what must be done to get through it successfully. The mind storm is in our emotions and thoughts, and it serves to paralyze and torment us. The real storm is fact, and it always serves to mobilize us to action. The mind storm is a trap that emotionally exhausts us, makes us weak, and robs us of our peace. The real storm is truth to be faced head on, and if we do, it makes us better and stronger.
Ask yourself a question right now. “Why do you spend so much time, and emotional energy, on mind storms, when each one is of your own making?” If you will honestly answer that question, you are on your way to being liberated to a brand new way of living. This is a life where fear and worry give way to the joy of living every day to the fullest. It’s a life that looks forward to all the adventures yet to come. In this life, a spirit of doubt and worry gives way to a pioneering spirit. It looks into the future with great anticipation, for what might be, and has immense satisfaction for what has already been!
What kind of life do you want to live? Are you happy with the one you have? If you need to change, now is the time to do it! Years ago I decided to live on truth’s raw edge, and let go of everything of my imagined future that had the power to hold me captive. Present reality became my truth, and I refused to be weighed down by the emotional baggage of what “might be”. I walked in renewed faith, out of the prison cell of what could happen, in order to grab hold of the freedom of what was happening. That simple act of personal and emotional realignment, was a moment of total liberation. It changed my world. I became the man I always knew I was meant to be, and my life was never the same.
Let me encourage you today to await the storm that is coming, and be in anticipation of it’s benefit in your life, not in fear of what damage it might bring. Get hold of your emotions and refuse to let something that is not even here, rule your life. Remember, all the victories you have gotten in the past ARE your reality. Let these be the truth you grab hold of for what is still on the way. The victories AND the failures have prepared you for every battle yet to come. By celebrating both, you will discover how to overcome. Relax, and be a pioneer rather than a prisoner. Learn to wait for, and face your storms when they finally arrive. Don’t worry even for a moment, before hand. You will be surprised at how quickly you can embrace the truth of your storm, and how much you will grow in the process. This, my friends, is life the way it was intended to be, and it is glorious!