The day before yesterday we had a massive set of storms passed through, but fortunately we were spared the worst of it. Our Governor declared a state of emergency for two counties just to the west of us as they took the brunt of the severe thunderstorms and a rather large tornado.
The frogs in our fountain croaked noisily until just before the frontal line passed over and then got eerily quiet when the winds picked up and the rain started falling. What stood out most to me about the storm was that once it passed there was an almost immediate calm in the air and in the movement and energy of my associates at work. It was as if we and the environment around us collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
I noticed the same thing last evening, not from a storm in the atmosphere, but after an intense and turbulent jumble of complicated details and unusual circumstances rocked my world. Not one to undervalue correlations such as this, I took a moment to collect my thoughts and write this post before addressing the many details which descended upon me like a brick out of the sky.
Realizing that a calm typically comes before and after a storm, I made peace with it as quickly as possible. Though it was rocking my world I reassured myself that it need not rock me. I do this regularly and find that it is a very effective way to dissipate the extra intensity which comes from reacting to the pressure. I recognized long ago that we add unnecessary pressure to our worlds (more than is inherent in our circumstances) if we react in any way to the swirl of activity moving through our fields of circumstances.
As of this writing, I am looking forward to the calm after this present storm – the point just before the frogs start croaking again – and it is my great hope that you can do the same in your world, armed with this knowledge.
Gregory Hake 
I love the freshness of the air after a storm moves through, and relative to the intense times of pressure, I love the fact that once one has moved through it there is always a sense of order, balance and appropriateness. That is if one actually took advantage of the pressure pattern and did what needed to be done. Thank You Gregg, I love you blog!
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Looking back at some of the more turbulent times in my life, I can see my reactions had the potential of being a salve or the last straw. The difference ALWAYS originated at the point where I was concerned with others or primarily myself. When we take into consideration the welfare of others, additional drama rarely is helpful to them. A clear head and dependably stable emotions leave space for solutions still forming. Some times it’s been like dumping a new puzzle from the box. Working with the few pieces that fit and looking for the next one, all the while getting a feel for the new picture that’s starting to form.
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Excellent words to Gregg’s great post.
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It is an advantage to understand these mechanics before you get into a situation. The trick is, if you have a default reaction other than this, to turn it into the kind of reaction that you want. It sometimes takes a few slips of doing it the wrong way in the heat of the moment, but with persistence eventually the right habits will become the default.
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One of the things I think when the weather of my life is stormy is that other people are depending on me and if I fall apart, it doesn’t help me or them. I appreciate you sharing this story as it’s an excellent reminder that we can be calm in the midst of chaos.
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This is a helpful analogy. Best of luck with your storm – hopefully the frogs are croaking again!
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