Wednesday, May 28, 2025
When it rains, it pours...on all of us
You know them. Maybe you are them.
And there’s one in every crowd.
One of *those* people.
Crappy weather? We’re all wet (or sweaty or freezing).
Flight delay? We’re all late.
Commute from hell? We’re all stuck in traffic jail.
Some people think only of themselves, how they are impacted. As if the laws of physics should bend to meet their personal timelines, temperaments, and tastes.
But here’s the thing: self-awareness beats self-importance.
Every.
Damn.
Time.
When you know your strengths, flaws, actions, and our reactions—when you realize you’re standing in the same rainstorm as everyone else—that’s when you put yourself in a position of influence.
That’s when you can forge your way through the driest of deserts and the most flooded of plains.
With logic. With reason. With empathy. With others.
“Complaining” and “venting” aren’t the same. Complaining pollutes the air. Venting clears it.
The song this week offers up one of the best lines to describe “realistic optimism” that I have ever heard: “I’m not expecting to grow flowers in the desert. But I can live and breathe and see the sun in wintertime.”
When we remember we’re not the only ones in the literal or figurative storm, we build our capacity to prepare and to adapt, and we become people who can breathe through anything.
Have a great week.
Reflection isn’t indulgent—it’s essential. When we pause to consider our actions, assumptions, and reactions, we create space for clarity, connection, and change. We move from surviving the storm to learning how to breathe through it. I’ve created this guide to help you do just that:
