Well, another month has come and gone, and I am therefore back at the keyboard to write another article. The groundhog saw its shadow, and therefore, we are supposed to have six more weeks of winter. Now I have never believed in this tradition, but this winter I figured the groundhog would be right. This winter wants to stay and continues to do so, despite us currently being in a heat wave of temperatures in the low thirties.
Broken pipes, ice-damming, slip-and-falls, car accidents, and complaints seem to be the norm every day. Unfortunately, these are the things that happen when we have a bad winter and will continue for the time being. All that can be done to minimize these occurrences have and will continue to be done. We all need to exercise caution when walking or driving wherever we go.
I was driving home during a snowstorm last month, and the car slid into a curb, and both my rim and tire were damaged. I don’t believe I was driving too fast or not paying attention, but maybe I was. The reality is that driving during or after snowstorms isn’t safe, and we all have to be extra cautious of our driving and that of others.
I also experienced a frozen pipe and had no heat in my house for two days. This was followed by ice-damming and a broken pipe over the next two weeks. This winter has been brutal and very expensive for me. I am well aware of the risks and did everything to prevent these issues, but things happen despite our best efforts. As much as I would love to blame someone and hold them responsible, I don’t. As the only one to blame is Mother Nature and myself for electing to continue to live in New York.
Let’s hope that by the time all of you read this article, March is warming up and Spring actually shows up. My experience is that we aren’t really through winter until we’re into April and the snow is actually gone. By now, all of you know what to do in a snowstorm, and I ask that you continue to do so. We all want Spring to be here and have had enough of the winter season. Let’s try to just get through what’s left of it and be grateful the last few years weren’t anything like what we are facing this year.
I have to say that I am not feeling inspirational or motivational in the least these days. I feel mentally and physically drained and that I have nothing extra to give. The snow has taken its toll on me, but we have many other things that continue to need to be addressed, and many of those items are giving me difficulty as well. Now I believe or would like to think that everything happens for a reason. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do think we are meant to learn something from everything that happens. Many times, what we are supposed to learn is what not to do or continue to do.
I was in a unique and complicated situation over the last two weeks, and I am still processing how I handled things and what I should have done differently, if anything. I don’t know if that answer will come to me anytime soon, but I do know what is and isn’t working for me in my life. We all have only one life to live, and we need to be very aware of its fragility. I speak to many different people in a very wide range of circumstances, all of whom seem to be searching for something. The simple truth is that nobody has it figured out at all, and most of us either dwell in our past or try to predict our future.
I just spoke to someone recently who was complaining that they had gained 60lbs, and my response was, “At least it wasn’t 80lbs.” Then the following week, I had a conversation with someone who didn’t know what they wanted to do professionally. My answer to them was, “At least you have a choice on what you decide to try.” Then my favorite was someone who was older and was focusing on all of their mistakes and the years wasted. My answer to them was, “Well, at least you figured it out before it was too late.” Don’t focus on what you lost or wasted, as you can’t change any of that. However, you can change what you do now and how you choose to live moving forward.
I don’t know if people seek me out for advice, or if I just offer it unsolicited. I am pretty sure that it is the latter, but hey, I am a work in progress 😊 I think I always try to help others and offer advice, as it’s easier to focus on what others need to do rather than to focus on ourselves. I try very hard to look at myself objectively and acknowledge my flaws, which are immense. I know that the only way to ever improve in life is to be honest with ourselves.
March brings us the following holidays and days of significance: Daylight Saving Time, St. Patrick’s Day, Spring Equinox, and Palm Sunday.
Remember to always fill your cup, before pouring into someone else’s cup. More importantly make sure what you’re pouring into someone else is what they need and not what you think that they need. We all have a tendency to think what will help someone else is what helped us and that’s simply not the case. We are all unique and different and have to make sure that what we offer someone else is for their betterment and not ours. More importantly if they don’t want their cup filled then stop trying to pour into it. I think for me I am going to fix the hole in my own cup and stop pouring out what isn’t mine to give away.
