NEW JERSEY– The walk to school used to feel longer on rainy days, no matter how much I rushed. Once I got inside the building, it was even worse. The dark, gloomy hallways filled with squeaky sounding shoes. The papers on the floor were covered in foot prints and brown mud. There was not much energy in school, I felt like people did not talk much on rainy days. The bell would ring. “It is disgusting outside,” is the first thing my teacher would say. Those words would be carried with me throughout the day. Everyone would talk about the rain. They were late because of the rain. They can’t go to their sports or games because of the rain. They do not have any energy because of the rain. The rain was a conversation topic that people used to make small talk. However, small talk can lead to big thoughts. American culture is overly critical of the rain when instead they should focus on fixing their mindset. There are many positive things in life that people don’t get a chance to enjoy because they are busy being ungrateful for something else, especially things they cannot control. Confusion and anxiety can occur from long periods of negativity. It is best to clear your mind and use your strength to remove yourself from the cycle of negativity, the things will work out on its own. 

Once I heard the negativity so often, I started to feel it. I didn’t think much about the rain, it was just the weather. However, I did not know how much the words of others affected me. It grew to other climates and temperatures as well. I blamed the rain for making me tired. Soon later, I blamed the sun and exhausting heat for making me tired. Then, I blamed being indoors all day for making me feel tired, and this lack of energy prevented me from going outside much. It was easy to grow more and more filled with excuses. It is frustrating to feel a lack of control in your life. I complained about the weather as if it actually determined the outcome of my day. It started with the rain but it grew into something that had nothing to do with rain at all.  I was unaware that little things, like small talk about weather, can add up in my life.

I learned that it is very important to be aware of the ideas floating around you. It is easy to blame any negative aspect on your life, on something bigger that you cannot control, such as weather. People are very busy and life can get in the way with their overarching goals. I blamed everything else but myself. I was afraid to get overwhelmed with school, because I did not know how to tackle my difficult school work. First, it was the weather, then it was my school, then I blamed the world. “That is just how the world is”, and I had no control over it. It takes a lot to snap out of negativity and empower yourself enough to make use of your abilities and life.

To fix the rut I was in I started from where it began: Rain. I blamed rain for not going outside for a walk when I would not have gone outside anyway. So, I started walking in the rain. With that came a fixing of many habits. I realized that being naturally smart is not real, and it is just a matter of how much you study. I started planning out my day in the morning. The habits added up very quickly, and it came to the point that I didn’t even notice if it was raining or not. I can do the same things on a rainy day or a sunny day. 

If rain makes you upset then write a list. Bring it to the front of your attention so you do not go through the day with anger at rain in the back of your mind. Think about the positives of rain, such as the nice smell of grass, the calming sounds of thunder, the cozy gray sky. Flowers and grass look brighter on a rainy day, against the dark gray sky. Maybe it was meant to be that you were late to school or work. The frustrating traffic could be an opportunity to take five minutes to be mindful and practice being calm. There is something good and something bad about everything. Everybody needs to be calm and give rain a break. 

Some people believe that the environment around us, really creates who we are. Some feel they are one with nature and weather is rough and rainy, they must act like that too. However, it is important to not blame your negativity on something you cannot control, because then you will not have control over your life. 

Why is it so common to be negative about the rain? For me, being so pessimistic was because everyone around me openly expressed their negative connotations of rain, just to make small talk. Be careful of being negative just to make conversation. Make sure to add in some positive aspects of your day when talking to others so that you can be thankful for your day and make your friends happy too. Small talk is not so small, it can lead to big thoughts. Complaining and blaming, add up and can take a toll on your mental health. It is easy to stop the cycle of complaining and start taking responsibility for your blessed life.