Winter Snowstorms: Looking Through the Negatives to Find the Positives
Winter can immobilize us! When flights are canceled because streets are blocked due to snow banks, it doesn’t matter what’s booked on the calendar. We are forced to stay where we are and cancel plans.
In recent weeks, North America appears to be facing stronger storms and weather patterns than in recent memory. We see news stories featuring stranded passengers camping in airports waiting for rebooked flights. Scenes of individuals shoveling huge snowbanks or spinning vehicles while losing control on icy streets are commonplace. Avalanches bury those who previously hoped to enjoy snowboarding or skiing on fresh snow. Electrical blackouts threaten the well-being and lives of those who do not have alternative sources of heat. Schools and businesses are closed.
It seems pretty bleak but if you look at it another way, winter weather offers some hidden positives that we might not experience otherwise. Consider the following:
1. Time is given back to us – We live in a world where we tend to overschedule ourselves. A winter storm can provide us with several hours or days of an empty calendar. This allows us the opportunity to nap, read, or pay attention to a project that would otherwise be overlooked.
2. Home is Enjoyable: Many people have told me that they love being home and consider it a “sanctuary” for them, but later lament that they are hardly ever there. Horrible weather can gift us with some “home time” to enjoy.
3. Perspective – It’s easy to get carried away with the idea that things HAVE to happen and we are INDISPENSABLE. When the weather interferes with our schedule, we have an opportunity to reconsider our values and let go of our obsessions about it.
4. Relationships: Problems often allow us to meet and learn to work with others. Together, neighbors who didn’t know each other well cooperate to clear snow or help each other deal with common problems brought by the storm. Even being stranded in an airport can give you the opportunity to have conversations or even develop new friendships with other people in the same dilemma.
The next time you hear yourself complaining about the weather, maybe you could think about this article and start focusing on the hidden benefits that might be available if you look for them.