Today, the air hangs heavy, everything shrouded in misty gray, like a bad omen.

Some, though, see it as mystical, illusive, dreamy.

Isn’t it amazing how effortless it is to head down a negative path?

Why the difference? Why were my first thoughts negative? Let me share my story.

Why So Negative?

Right now, I am back in full-blown winter after enjoying twenty-nine delightful days with a wonderful person in sunny California. Those days were filled with blooming color, abundant sunshine, and hummingbirds darting in and out of flowers. This lead to creative energy. While there were attempts to plan each day, it was the spontaneity that produced joy and spilled out in laughter. We explored beaches, walked through lushly manicured gardens, and found delightful stories everywhere. Photos were captured of sunsets, waves crashing on rock formations, those hummingbirds, and us. The warmth of the sandy beach was allowed to caress our bare feet. We both looked so relaxed and beautifully happy. Poetry flowed through me almost every morning. 

Then Back To Reality

I had to come back to the cold Wisconsin winter. Just in time for a predicted period of dense fog. These conditions will continue until late March. Even when the fog clears, it will then turn to cold, with cloudy skies and snow. In Wisconsin’s consistent darkness, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) seems to be common. I was happy to be on an adventure to avoid feeling depressed. Though I always planned to come back home alone, now I feel very lonely. Going from sunshine to fog is difficult. I feel lost. The fog in the weather mirrors the fog in my mind right now.

Words of Inspiration

One of the things I did while in the Sunshine State was read the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I returned to that book for inspiration. The words I found highlighted are these,

“Speak to the hand that wrote all.”

So now, as I feel lost, shrouded in misty gray, I’m asking the hand to help me move through the darkness. I need to believe the fog will lift, and I will see the path. It’s there. It’s always been there. I went back to the book to find more guidance:

“What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil but so we can master lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up.”

The Alchemist.

I Heeded the Words.

I don’t give up. My dream, to escape the brutal cold of another Wisconsin winter had been realized in part. I now have a treasure trove of memories to warm my heart and soul. And if I am now being tested, I need to show strength, power through this climate change.

So I took a deep breath, found my winter boots, wrapped a colorful scarf around my neck, zipped up my warm winter coat, and headed to the neighborhood coffee shop. Just doing that put energy back in my spirit.

The walk was needed. The coffee shop was filled with like-minded souls who looked like they, too, were searching for a break from the gloom. It wasn’t friendly, like the smiling faces encountered in the California sunshine. No, their heads were all down, focused on anything but the view outside. I decided that’s just what I would do as well. Armed with a cup of dark roast coffee and a croissant, I sat down, took out my laptop, put my head down, and tried to write my way out of the darkness and back into the light.

I think I understand. It's me who is in control of how I see this day. My interpretation will set the tone for my whole state of mind. Choose wisely, Jane.

What Is The Fog Trying To Say?

There’s a message to be learned from the fog: Relax. This is a time to ponder, not to worry, not to be sad.

So I pondered this thought:

If I can find creativity in the sunlight, I can also find it in the fog.

I decided to reframe my mindset and restate it as joy. My joy today is not in being wrapped in fog but in finding the resilience to power through it. Knowing I have the capability to choose is the gift. My daughter always says “No matter what, find the gift.”

Today is as sunny as I make it. I made a plan to go for a longer walk in my favorite woods. Along the way, I snapped photos of the beauty that a winter woods has to offer. I came back feeling inspired again. I can do this hard thing!

So Can You!

So, get out there. Make this day a brilliant reflection of your own “Personal Legend“.

*Go for a walk.

*Take pictures of things that make you smile. 

*Treat yourself to something sweet.

*Then, sit down and write out all the things that light up your day. Don’t dwell on the clouds. They’re the test. Instead, find the most uplifting quotes from a book or from positive things posted on social media. Emphasis on “positive”.

*And “find the gift.” Gifts are all around us. We simply have to be focused on seeing them.

And Then Think Of This…

Maybe the one quote from The Alchemist that jarred me most deeply ended up being words my friend had almost said verbatim during one of our days together:

“No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”

Believing that I have a Personal Legend to achieve was one thing but then thinking that my life is playing a central role in someone else’s life means this to me: I need to make every day good, not just for me but for everyone out there who is learning from me. If that’s true, what I want my message to filled with is light and joy. If it’s not outside my window, I need to find a way to put it out there myself. I can make my own light.

Like the Alchemist said, “Maktub – It is written.”

Now I Ask You…

What do you do to power through sadness?

How do you push yourself to find the light in dark situations? 

Searching for that gift, no matter what, is hard. How do you do it? 

What do you think people are learning from you?

Share your own experiences and tips.