Weather Forecaster or Weather Itself?

I just finished a fictional murder mystery novel - The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman - that was a fun read, but also offered an interesting idea to explore. We forget that interesting ideas can come from absolutely anywhere - a daily comic, a funny TV sitcom, any type of book, a random comment overheard on the street.  If you keep your mind open, there are Easter Egg surprises hidden all around us.

In this book the main character offered her theory on people. She felt there were two types - the weather forecasters and the weather itself.  Intriguing. 

• Weather Forecaster - "...always have their fingers in the air, trying to feel which way the wind is blowing. We  never want to be surprised or caught out."
• Weather Itself - "...move as you choose, you act as you feel. You make things happen without fannying around worrying about what those things might be."

Intriguing isn't it? You could also say the thinkers and the responders, or those who plan and those who act on impulse. What was interesting was  when I looked for images, they were focused on the rightness of one side or the other. Which am I?  Both. I find this true so many times in life.  I think we have a main trait, but it never defines us fully. I am neither fully introvert or extrovert. I move between them depending how I feel at the time, and what life is throwing at me.

If I had to pick a trait that was more dominant, I would say the forecaster. However, that has only come in the second half of my life. In my early years, and throughout my 20's, I ws the weather. Absolutely. I leapt wildly into the unknown and was blown by the wind. That didn't always work out well. Becoming a mother and wife changed everything. I was suddenly in charge of a family of five. I couldn't just wing cooking or family camping trips or the schedules of five people. I learned how to create a framework to move through. 

Planning has become an integral part of my life now. I have learned if I want to relax and enjoy family dinners or company staying with me, I need to set the framework ahead of time as to meals and outings. It is not a rigid plan. Nothing set in stone - it can morph and change, It is simply a loose plan that allows me to relax into each moment. 

However, I still love my leaps of blind faith.  They don't happen quite as often now, but when they do it's exhilarating. I love being immersed in a hurricane of chaos, moving by sheer gut instinct towards a new goal.  That's when I again become the weather.  And in those times of high energy, I can be a lot to handle. No doubt about it. Nothing can distract me or get in my way. I am single-minded and unstoppable.

Perhaps instead of letting the terms Weather Forecaster or Weather Itself define us, we need to take a broader view which lets us see where we are as we journey through life.  If we are in a place that we need to set a framework, embrace it. Be the weather forecaster. If freedom and blind faith are needed, then allow yourself to be the weather. 

You don't have to get inside a box and stay there. There is no law you have to be the same from one day to the next. Let your soul embody what ever works best in that moment. And if you've spent too long attached to one - such as the planner - perhaps you could push yourself outside your comfort zone and try becoming a doer for a bit to mix things up. That is, if it feels right to you. If you're been flying blind for a long time, take a break and try a little planning. The choice is always yours. You are in charge. 

All of these terms are simply ideas to ponder and to shed light on how we move through life. There are no right or wrongs. No absolutes. Nothing is set in stone. They are simply tools to be used and then set aside when they no longer serve.