It’s 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) right now here in Southern California. That’s about 20 degrees above normal.
Supposedly, today should be the last day of our 2-week heat wave. At least, that’s what Dani told me last night. She’s the weekday weather person on our local network news station.
I hope she’s right.
One day last week, she said it was going to be 105. She was wrong – it peaked at 111.
Last winter, there were days when she said it was going to be cold, and it was warm. She said it would be dry and it would rain, or said it would rain and it stayed dry.
Most of the time, Dani’s predictions are in the ballpark. But even then, they’re typically off by at least a degree or two.
When she’s off, nobody complains, though. They understand that she’s giving a prediction based on a lot of data, but it’s weather – so it can change whenever it wants.
It’s not Dani’s fault. She can’t control the weather.
I assume she still gets paid, no matter what happens.
And I’m good with that. I keep coming back every night to see what she thinks will happen tomorrow, and I’m not expecting perfection. I’m just grateful that she tells me what’s likely to happen, based on her experience and expertise.
We Can’t Control the Weather – and a lot of other things
That doesn’t happen in every field:
If a salesperson doesn’t hit their numbers, they don’t get their bonus and commission.
If a batter can’t connect with the ball, they’re sent down to the minors.
If an employee doesn’t do their job well, they’re let go.
Most people are paid by their performance. If they meet or exceed expectations, it’s good. If they miss the mark, it’s bad. When it’s bad, they can do things to get better. They can influence the results by the choices they make.
But that’s not always true. There are some things that are simply out of our control.
Like the weather.
And the stock market.
And the economy and traffic and what politicians do and pandemics and the past and the future and how other people treat us or how they feel or the choices they make.
There’s really only one thing we have control of:
Ourselves – and the choices we make.
A Simple Formula for Inner Peace
If you feel stress or anxiety over the things listed above that are out of your control, you’ve become a victim of those people or circumstances.
If you want to feel peace on the inside (no matter what’s happening on the outside), try this:
- Figure out what you have the ability to control and put your energy there.
- Figure out what you can’t control and don’t put your energy there.
That’s it. If you put your energy around those things that you can’t really do anything about, your emotions will reflect your circumstances – not your choices.
If you put your energy around things that you can actually do something about, you’ll find peace – because you’re in charge of the choices you make.
Sure, it sounds simplistic – and there’s definitely a lot more to it than that. But in general, it’s a practical application of Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
What Dani Gets Paid For
When Dani gives her weather report, we all know she can’t control the weather. She predicts what it will be tomorrow, but we’re fully aware that it could change.
Where she brings the most value is telling us about the choices we can make tomorrow, based on what will most likely happen:
- During a heat wave, she suggests what hours to avoid strenuous exercise in the sun and reminding us to hydrate properly.
- When California wildfires are burning, she’ll suggest staying inside because of the poor air quality – especially if someone has respiratory issues.
- She tells us how long a weather event should last so we can plan my week around those conditions.
She’s getting paid for giving practical suggestions for navigating the weather, not for perfection in her prediction.
She gets paid to give us hope.
In other words, she’s helping us find a degree of “inner peace” by making good choices – not by hoping the sky will change.
I think that’s worth a paycheck!
What choices can you make today that will help settle your insides?
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