“What’s the weather going to be like mom?”
That’s a question I hear every morning. My answer is typically the same in San Diego, “Just like yesterday.”
We live in Southern California and we totally know we’re weather wimps. Oh, it’s going to be 60 degrees today. Better wear long sleeves and a jacket. Brrr!
Did you know we can “check the weather” when it comes to happiness in our marriage too? You can measure your happiness as a wife by external events and circumstances which by the way, are many times out of your control.
Rainy weather: Oh, I overslept and my husband didn’t even talk to me before we parted ways this morning. Why is he like that? I am so unhappy!
Sunny weather: My husband left me a note saying how much he loved me. He’s going to take me out to dinner too. I have the best life!
Storm approaching: We’ve been fighting for so long – how in the world are we going to work this out?
If you have to hold your finger in the air, checking the weather to determine whether or not you’re going to be happy, you’ll always be at the mercy of someone else. Here is a better way to take hold of happiness from Dale Carnegie’s classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People:
Everybody in the world is seeking happiness – and there is one sure way to find it. That is by controlling your thoughts. Happiness doesn’t depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions. It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.
Happiness is not an external job. It’s an internal one that has a lot to do with the way you think.
So, don’t check the weather to know how you should act today. Put on a smile, breathe a prayer of thanks to God, and enjoy the day – regardless of the weather forecast!
