Yesterday, as I was walking around the palace, it became so windy that I could hardly stand up or make any progress going forward.  So, I kept my head down and continued to put one foot in front of the other, which was pretty much the only way to get home!  Then my brain made the connection to similarities between my walking challenge and dealing with changes in our lives.

The winds of change are similar to the gusts and blasts from nature.  Often you don't know where they are coming from.  They can be unexpected.  There might not seem to be any reason.  And you are really not sure what the collateral damage will be, if there is any.  So, as our human nature is asking why? who? what? where? how?  Mother nature just shrugs her shoulders.  Harrumph.

Here are some thoughts and applied wisdom from my walk on wind and change:

1.   Keep your head down and deal with each step as it comes.
2.   Continue to take one step at a time.  Stay focused on where you want to go.
3.   It's nice to have someone to hold onto. If you do, then he/she is being buffeted around too; so you can support each other but don't cling so hard that you drag the other down.
4.   Stuff will blow in your eyes and make you teary; wipe the tears; don't obsess about  them, or look for something to blame.
5.   You might not look pretty, but "outdoorsy and windblown" is not a bad thing; it's actually kind of cool and admirable.  Look at all the running/mountain climbing/sports magazines!
6.   People might wonder what on earth you are doing as they drive by in their heated cars; let them.  People love to judge from their safe places.
7.   Focus on what is good about the situation.  [It was sunny.  My body is healthy enough to battle the wind. It gave me a topic for my blog.]
8.   You will feel good about yourself after it is over because you dealt with it and didn't let it stop you or get you down.
9.   It adds one more thing to your repertoire of what you can deal with, and probably makes for a good story.
10. Neitzche  said, "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger." 

So it is with the winds of change.  They are going to come.  They can be unpredictable.  You can handle it, if you don't hold onto what you have or what you were expecting, and open yourself up to embrace what it is.  Whining is not helpful

Check out  www.marianneclyde.com  for more bits of pragmatic wisdom!