Thermostat

One rather cold and rainy day I opted to seek shelter at home and noticed my thermostat kept going on and off trying to keep my house at a constant temperature. This phenomena caused me to relate what was happening in my house to people's own internal thermostats creating the lives they live. There are many methods of dealing with this dilemma that take various forms. The easiest and most common solutions are to set the thermostat higher than necessary and deal with being uncomfortable for a while or reset the level you like keeping yourself "protected" with what you want in life by adding more to carry. Both work but neither address the true issue and only lead to larger complications down the road. As it was raining and stormy outside I took this as a metaphor to my life and began to creating methods of correcting this external problem along with some I was facing internally.

So I set my personal thermostat higher and started looking for the cracks in your my house to repair them in order to keep the creative heat in with less exertion. How many don't believe they have the resources to either raise the thermostat or fix the house in which they live so they put on more layers? Be it clothes or personal insulation. They make themselves cumbersome to the world and stop moving as much. Letting life pass them by with a feeling in their heart that the world is just too cold for them to do anything about it as they slow down more and more till they are a husk of their former selves. Meanwhile the ability and answers on how to fix the house is right there in front of them the whole time.

Sadly, people get used to the layers they wear and grow to expect others to comment on those layers when they are greeted.

"Cold ain't it?”

"Oh yeah, let me tell ya..."

And the story goes. The person appreciates the attention to their damaged ego and a brief instance of importance that "someone cares." Unbeknownst to them, they could get the same and greater attention as a positive role model on how they were able to get their house in order, equipped to handle any environmental change the world throws at them. This could place person in a position to give guidance and empathy to others who are where the person used to be. By developing simple step by step instructions on where to go to get the necessary tools, what preparation is needed, how the execution should progress, and what the final outcome and future results are to will help elevate worries or fears.

Many times in our society we just keep raising the thermostat higher and higher thinking that will keep the cold at bay. Working harder to afford the comfort we believe we deserve. Disastrously, this is a path destined to fail as well. We push and push going too fast right past the obvious problems, never finding the satisfaction we deeply crave. Allowing our emotions to go unchecked, unrepentant, and angry at anyone who points out the cracks and how to fix them because they don't know the level of comfort you hold for yourself. Boy do I know these types of people all too well. The "where-is-the-person-to-help-the-person-that-helps-everyone-else" type. The "you're-showing-emotion,-so-you're-worthless-to-me" type. The "as-long-as-I-keep-moving-forward,-my-past-or-pain-can't-catch-me" type. Well I'm here to tell ya no one can go full speed all the time. If you try to run a sports car at full speed from California to New York the whole way you're gonna blow the engine. Which I've seen far too many times.

Remarkably, what was the solution to this the thermostat problem I encountered that day. I spent the time during the storm to research what tools and supplies I would need to correct the problem I found on the backdoor seal. Braving the elements to go I went to the local hardware store to purchase nails and the thin pieces of wood to go around the frame that holds the insulation in place. Returned home and relaxed as I waited for the storm outside to subside. Once the storm had subsided I opened the backdoor allowing the cold into the house while I replaced the inner frame and seals around the door. Was it a pain in the posterior, yes. Cold as all get out, oh yeah. But something to be proud of when completed, you betcha!

Now did this solve all of my problems and I live happily ever after in my nice warm house? No. There were still other holes to close and seals to fill, but there were a lot of positives gained. I was now knowledgeable towards correcting a problem like this if it arises in my life again. I didn't have to work harder and waste time earning the money to excessively heat the house. I was able to remove a layer of "protection" and move freely without the excess weight of the world trying to slow me down. All in all, a little effort to correct a flaw in my house garnered great gains all across my life.

God bless

Mike.