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   With the snow and the unusually wet weather we have had this spring, one of the things that has come up over and over again at my work  in Yosemite with the visitors  has been looking at people’s adaptability to different weather conditions, and life in general.  We are not in control of the weather, Nature is , but sometimes visitors here at the park have difficulty accepting this . They have planned their vacation with the thought that they will have perfect sunny days, and here they are in this paradise, and it’s snowing or raining on them . (Usually my counsel to them is to realize they will see and discover things that they would never see in good weather, if they only relax and allow it to unfold) This causes me to ponder the concept of taking any situation and making the most of it, looking for the silver lining, so to speak, in any given set of parameters  of experience. As my friend Erik puts it, to take a situation and to not only survive in it, but to thrive in it. I feel  like there is so much change and shifting going on in our society and on the Earth in general these days, that people’s security is being swept away from them, forcing them to adapt and change. So how can Nature show us how to walk with grace and beauty through all these changes and disruptions in our lives? Because it’s not the disruptions themselves that are the root of discomfort, but our reactions to them.  Look at Nature, look at the trees and rocks and animals that dwell outside. When a rainstorm comes in, they remain constant, their energy does not change, they don’t react and yell, what’s with this weather? They persist, they survive, they thrive. the animals may seek shelter, but they wait out the storm and don’t make a big deal of it like us humans do. If we all spent just one month living outdoors, in all sorts of weather conditions, we would see that its a beautiful thing to feel and experience the weather changes, cold to hot, dry to wet,windy to calm, to see the stars and moon and the sun rise and set. We are so disconnected from our natural rhythms that we have forgotten how wonderful they really are . Change is good, it purges and sweeps away old stagnant energy, just as the wind sweeps through the canyons before a storm, cleansing and clearing in front of the rain and snow. The storm rages and purges, and then when it clears, all is made clean and new again. Fresh and wonderful . Challenges and changes in our lives take on a similar pattern. We can be cleansed, if we only allow it to happen, by the nature of our challenges, they force us to think and act differently.   Human nature resists change. Our mind and egos, the fearful part of us, are scared of change . They run from it.   If we can only watch Natures example and look outside, we can see how it gracefully goes through change and comes  out bursting with new energy. Resistance is futile. Gracefully accepting and flowing with change is a valuable resource to help us through the shift in energy that is upon us. Remember, not only survive, but thrive in any situation.  Look for the silver lining, it is always before you in any test. You may come out a changed person, but it is always for the best. Go from Spring into Summer  thriving on the changes ahead.