From a young age, most of us were told the weather is a “safe” topic for polite conversation. Don’t ask a woman her age. Don’t talk about money, religion or politics. Stick to the weather and you won’t offend anyone.
Well, the weather in Iowa this winter is horrible. Yes, it is cold. Yes, it is freezing cold. Yes, it is frigid. Yes, I want to escape to someplace tropical. Enough already! I am asking everyone who is reading this to practice a moment of positive thinking. Close your eyes and picture a sunset. Over a beach. Throw in a few palm trees. Smile while you do it.
I have always believed in the power of positive thinking. It works for me. Sometimes it is difficult. Like this winter. It is difficult to put a positive spin on this weather. I did get a lot of projects done around my house this week. I have been getting plenty of sleep. Well, that’s about it. See, that is why I am asking you to help. The more of us that use positive thoughts to turn around the conversation about the weather, the better it will work.
There are heaps of references to positive thinking online. This is part of an article on the Mayo Clinic Web site related to stress management:
Understanding positive thinking and self-talk
Self-talk is the endless stream of thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.
If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you’re likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.
“Can Positive Thinking Improve Your Life?” is a blog entry on a site called Advanced Life Skills.
I am not posting this to teach you positive thinking. Check out the many references available and you can teach yourself. But please help me out, think positively about the weather in Iowa or at least stop talking about it. Go ahead, ask me my age, that won’t be as offensive as this weather!
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