Winter in Columbus varies quite a bit, but when it’s cold…it’s cold.
The other morning, as I got into my car and started driving to work, I complained (to no one in particular) that it was cold and how I really needed to get a car that has remote start. The leather was cold and the seat heaters were slow to warm up, so I thought about a car that had both remote start and would know to pre-heat the seats. Shivering, I thought, “Geez, it’s cold!”
Hold on.
“Stop it.” Now, talking to myself. “You are being a fool.
At least you have leather seats that need heating…
You have seat heaters in your car…
You have a car that you’re driving…
…to a job that you have.
You just came out of a warm home…
…that is yours and well-heated.
You could be waiting for the bus…or walking to work…
…or maybe you don’t have a job at all…
…and you can’t afford to heat your house…
…or maybe you have no home at all.
We so often forget what we have, not realizing that the cold we recognize so quickly is because of the warmth we know well and take for granted.
Shawn Achor and other researchers tell us that gratitude is a critical part of happiness and well-being. Without knowing it, in an instant, I wasn’t so cold anymore.
With so much craziness in the world, with the quest for success, the loneliness that comes with a culture that focuses on individualism and with happiness always seemingly just beyond reach, we must remember to practice gratitude, acknowledge what we have, and do what we can to help others.
The world today can be a cold place, but we have the power bring it warmth…through our own lives, in our attitudes, and the way we interact with each other.
Warmth must be something we practice…something that burns by choice, in our hearts, our minds, and in our spirit.
In Between Degrees 
Absolutely, well said.
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