28 April 2021 – This past Sunday, I went out to Fort Monroe to walk. It was a chilly April day, so chilly that it was actually warmer in Denver. I still enjoyed the wind and the sun. Because it was chilly, there were few people, and it was quiet. The only people out there were avid walkers and fishermen. It was practically perfect. After my walk, I sat and wrote in my journal…

As I watch the wind move the waves, it reminds me of a quote. “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails.” Life has a way of blowing us every which way. Most of the time, it blows in a different direction than the one we had planned to go. Most of the time, we complain and despair about being blow off course. How often do we try to adjust to it instead?

I used to deal really well with change. It was part of my childhood, so I knew it was always coming. But there have been numerous times when all I did was stress and fret and complain like it was truly the end of the world. It felt like the winds of change would just blow me off the edge of the earth. It obviously didn’t because I am still here. Not only that, but I am alive and well and living a good life without many complaints. But as I sit here and watch the clouds move across the sky, I think about all of the times I go to dark places.

While sitting here, I watch the beautiful blue sky with few clouds to the north and the east. The southern sky is full of thick white clouds, and in the west, the sky is dark. As I watch, I can see more of the sky turning dark as the wind blows the dark clouds toward the east. I stop and think, and I am convinced that pretty soon it will be really cloudy and really chilly, and I will need to go home.

There are people in the world who seem to have easy perfect lives. All sunshine and blue skies with no real issues and plenty of smiles and laughs, lots of friends and no cares. These are the ones we all envy and want to be. The same people who are always posting pictures of their perfect lives, their beautiful homes, their loving families and their great vacations.

Then, there are those people who live in a never-ending cycle of doom and gloom. Their lives are always dark with a new storm on the horizon. These are the ones that everything terrible always happens to, who can’t catch a break, who constantly suffer – or want you to believe one or all of these things are true. There are those who have a truly hard life, but they are often overshadowed by the catastrophizers. These people have real issues like addiction, illness, pain, abuse, grief, loss, family strife, divorce, anger or other issues, and they truly could use a little bit of sunshine.

Then, there is everyone else. Those who just live. They have good days and bad issues and celebrations, but they don’t really share or complain or show celebration because they know that life can change in an instant – as quickly as today’s sky has. (The sky is now almost completely blue with only a few white clouds and lots of sunshine. Most of the darkness has gone.) These people are the same ones who understand that what happens to them may be beyond their control but know that how they respond is all up to them. These are the people who know to adjust their sails. They may not be good at it yet – they may be a little slow, or they may adjust the sails too quickly or turn the sail too far – but they are learning and moving in the right direction. They are not letting the winds of the world ruin everything. Instead, they are adapting.

I like to think I can successfully adjust my sails anytime it’s needed. But, if you have read any of my posts, you are also aware that it is not true. All I can do is keep trying, keep learning and keep listening – eventually, maybe, muscle memory will kick in and make it second nature, and I will be able to adjust my sails and enjoy the ride.