Be The Mountain Not The Weather

I was talking to someone the other day, they were struggling with something, and before he finished sharing his struggle with me he said, “I know, I need to be the mountain and not the weather.” It made me smile. Yes, we should all be the mountain. The mountain is solid, it has a strong foundation, nothing is moving a mountain, it stands tall, whereas the weather comes and goes, it changes, it can, in course of a day, have several different systems flowing through it, it’s not reliable, it can be unstable, it can surprise us, and, it can destroy. Although we may have days where having the power of the weather may seem fun, or like a release, what we want to be is the mountain, so that no matter what is going on around us, no matter what weather, we will outlast and withstand it. So how do we become more like the mountain and less like the weather?

1) Be Flexible. This might seem like a strange one when we’re talking about mountains, but we’re talking about building your own solid foundation, and even a strong foundation needs some flexibility. I’ve written before how important it is to always remain teachable and to remain teachable you have to be flexible, you have to be open to new things, new ideas, new information. It’s great to have an opinion, but always be open to listening to the other side, you never know, you might just learn something that can change your mind, or not, maybe it just solidifies you stance, but it’s important to keep yourself open and always give someone else the courtesy of sharing their side with you. It’s also important to stay flexible to make sure you’re seeing things as they are, not just through your own perspective or filter, make sure you’re seeing things from every angle so you can be sure you’re way of thinking is on solid ground.

2) Give Yourself Permission. Be confident in your decisions and let yourself try new things without the worry of what others might think. Too many times we look for external approval when we should be looking in to see how we feel about it. If it makes us happy, if it makes us feel good, if it inspires us, excites us, do it, it doesn’t matter if someone else understands it, or approves of it, give yourself permission to try new things, to do things differently, and to explore how you truly feel about the decisions and choices you’ve made. This goes along with being flexible, give yourself permission to change.

3) Find Forgiveness. Let things go that no longer serve you, that hold you back, or you can’t resolve. Find forgiveness and acceptance for those things you cannot change, or those things you could not change in that moment, those choices, those mistakes, those actions. Also find forgiveness in yourself, for not knowing better, for not making a better choice, for not knowing period, we do the best we can in each moment, no one gets it right all the time, learn, forgive, and move on. Holding on to the past only holds us back, it will shackle us to that time, or incident, and not allow us to move forward and grow. It also holds us to a story or narrative that may no longer serve us, find the strength and find the freedom in letting go.

4) Be Mindful. Along with forgiveness and acceptance is being mindful. Once we are able to find forgiveness we need to be mindful of our actions so that we’re making better decisions, decisions that do serve us, that move us forward, that help us grow and help us earn our self-esteem and confidence.

5) Finding Love And Gratitude. When we walk each day with love in our heart and we’re able to find gratitude for who we are and what we have we make better decisions for ourselves. We are walking less in ego and more in spirit, and it is in that place that we can find peace and a more solid way of life.

6) Engage In Life. This is the result of all of the above. When we are practicing all of these principles it allows to be me involved and engaged in life, we take care of ourselves, and we’re able to have better relationships with others. Our lives get bigger as we explore new things, new people, and allow ourselves to open our hearts to those around us. We are the mountain and nothing is going to shake us. We are solid in who we are and what we stand for, but open, and no matter what storm passes, we stand tall, knowing that the sun will always come out again.

SLAY OF THE DAY: In your life, do you see yourself more as the mountain or the weather? Why do you see yourself as one or the other? Do you see that sometimes you can be both? In what instances? What causes you to change from one to the other? How can you be more like the mountain? What gets in your way? What action can you take to be more solid in your day-to-day life? Give yourself permission to be fallible, give yourself permission to fail, to try new things, to find forgiveness in yourself, and those around you, find the mountain in you SLAYER, plant your roots and find your solid footing. SLAY on!

S – self L – love A – appreciate Y – you