Last week I wrote of the wind. This week it is the rain that has caught my attention.

And the times that I have got wet!

I spent another couple of days at my beloved bird cliffs, watching the rain approaching, walking in the rain and drying off after the rain! I noticed the sun was never far away. And one evening I watched the sun setting through my window, as rain drops ran down the window pane. To my slight disappointment, I didn't see any rainbows though.

During these encounters with the elements, I was interested to track my mindset. Somewhere there can be a murmur that being out in the rain is somehow 'a bad thing'. Sometimes also a murmur that 'I should have paid more attention to the weather forecast'; that 'being wet and a bit uncomfortable is not okay'; 'I got this plan wrong' and/or that 'the day has somehow been spoilt'. Clearly a tendency of non-acceptance from this particular inner voice. If I allow myself to dwell with these thoughts they can lower my mood and stir up further negativity. What a cycle!

Meanwhile, my walks yielded wonderful encounters with the stunning wildlife of the bird cliffs. Beauty never far away.

It's okay of course, and often important, to register our discomfort (of any kind). And attend to it with as warm and tender voice as we can. Where it becomes unhelpful is when we 'go for a ride with it'. Instead, I aim (with varying amounts of success) to reframe my thoughts in a more positive way. In the above example for instance, reminding myself that rain is of course necessary to the well-being of all life and something to be very grateful for; it combines with light to give us the beauty of the rainbow; it has its own beauty, e.g. in raindrops poised on a leaf.

I am reminded of an expression I love from a revered Buddhist teacher:

'When loving kindness meets the tears of compassion it is the rainbow of compassion that is born'.

This week's self kindness invitation is to pay attention to any times of discomfort (physical, emotional or psychological), to bring as much gentle kindness and compassion to yourself as you can, and to do your best not to dwell with any negative self-dialogue that arises.

Go well.

In warmth and kindness

Barbara