Resilience through the Rain- don't let your dreams be dampened!

Living in foreign countries and all the dance and gymnastics training has taught me resilience, however this week I found myself teetering in tantrum territory more than once.

Riding a bicycle as transport has it's perks- no parking boundaries, a chance to be fit in the open air and explore whilst getting from A(partment) to B(icyle destination of choice)
However in Melbourne with it's weather having as much predictability as what is actually in a chicken nugget, keeping warm/cool/dry/alive can be difficult.

En route when the weather be crazy I actually consider searching for a place to dig a bunker and wait for emergency services.That and I've also wondered if I have cycled through some sort of apocalyptic porthole where every 2km is a different season.

This week, my nerves were tested as I was caught in a downpour that even ducks would try to dodge. On two separate days. I knew I shouldn't have played "I miss the rain down in Africa" on repeat!
Initially it was fun, like being in a Ricky Martin music video. 

Then it got to the rain coming from all directions like it did for Forrest Gump in Vietnam. Could not see, could not feel my feet, and could not think how I was going to get through my massive day that required me to be riding dry for a large portion of it. Upon arriving at my meeting, the puddle at my feet and temper swelled. The only thing that stopped me from having a conniption was the voice in my head saying "don't let this dampen your spirits"
No pun intended; I was dripping not damp.

Trivial times like these can send us lucky first-world dwellers into a flurry of furore. Running out of toilet paper, plastic forks breaking in your take away salad, and getting rained on aren't as bad as some of the things other people in the world go through daily, but our incubated controlled environment allows us to forget. 

So, the thought that there were many people far worse off than me, and thanks to hair dryers, hand dryers and a fair amount of tissues, I was able to absorb away the anger.

The American Psychological Association suggests  "10 Ways to Build Resilience"

1. maintaining good relationships with close family members, friends and others;
2. to avoid seeing crises or stressful events as unbearable problems;
3. to accept circumstances that cannot be changed;
4. to develop realistic goals and move towards them;
5. to take decisive actions in adverse situations;
6. to look for opportunities of self-discovery after a struggle with loss;
7. developing self-confidence;
8. to keep a long-term perspective and consider the stressful event in a broader context;
9. to maintain a hopeful outlook, expecting good things and visualizing what is wished;
10. to take care of one's mind and body, exercising regularly, paying attention to one's own needs and feelings.

I smiled when I realised in this certain situation, it was a good reason to have two coffees- I was fufilling step 5. May have over done it somewhat when the caffeine left me more wired that the scrapings of singlet-festival-nappy-faketan-wearing-oopsie look at my muscles-my shirt just fell off people who were loitering around after Sereosonic. 

But anyways, the tantrums I managed to turn to twitches made me realise I really need to invent a gazebo to attach to my bike. Also to remember that rain is a good thing- at least it will make sure our glasses stay half full.

And when your glass is half full you are always hydrated enough to bounce back.

Jj