Winter Can Be Rough

Ever have one of those days (or weeks) that is just too much?

Well, that was me this past week. On top of it being one of the coldest weeks of the year, I had a nasty cold all week and work was about as busy and stressful as it could get. Not fun. 

In times like that, it can be very hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It can really push you to your limits and test your faith that all is ultimately working out on your behalf.  

Luckily, I had an incredibly restorative and enjoyable weekend, which was sorely needed. Now that I am out of the thick of it, I can see much more of the wisdom from that experience.

I realize upon reflection that I have created the experience of this rough week on some level of my being. I am convinced that nothing happens to us by accident, so it is very important that we start to become more aware of the patterns we tend to subconsciously engage in that contribute to the development of these kinds of situations in our lives.

It is my personal belief that karma is also an important factor in the unfolding of events like this. But without going too deep into that whole subject (which I may eventually dive into in other posts), here’s what I’m really taking away from this past week:

In tough times, we really need to give ourselves as much compassion, support and grace as we can. Tough times can actually help us become stronger, wiser and more resilient if we choose not to close our hearts and become more jaded and bitter toward life.

It is very helpful to have humility during tough times, keeping in mind again that we have indeed created every situation in our lives on some level of our consciousness.

I think there has historically been a lot of social and religious conditioning leading us to believe that God/Source/The Universe is keeping score of everything we do, and can be particularly vindictive when He/She feels like it. I personally know that nothing is further from the truth.

Even if we don’t fully understand why we are going through some difficult situation, we must accept total responsibility for how we deal with it. This is the only true power that we have in life, and its importance cannot be overstated.

Things do not happen to spite or punish us, they happen to reveal something of great importance to us. It can take time before the profound insight spontaneously emerges, but I have seen time and time again that it certainly will if you allow it.

Always remember too that the better we care for ourselves, the more resilient we will be to all of life’s ups and downs. In this new year, I am cutting back drastically on caffeine (coffee, in particular) as I have recently been reflecting on how much it has actually been a hindrance to my overall well-being.

Cutting out coffee was one thing that helped me avoid having this past week be even more stressful and overwhelming than it already was. Morning cup of elevated cortisol, anyone? No thanks, I’m good.

Winter can be a tough time of year, particularly because of the extra effort that it takes to support our immune systems and stay well. It is also an incredibly beautiful season that holds much magic and wonder, which is something I particularly delight in every year.

Stay well this winter, rest much, and have some good herbal tea to calm your nerves and support your immunity.

All the best,
Dan

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I am passionate about helping people manage stress more effectively, build resilience and create more joy, harmony and abundance in their lives. To learn more about working with me one-on-one, use this link to find out more about how I can help you: https://heal.me/dskeeler