Stop and Enjoy the Tornado

Today, on my way to a conference 140 miles south of me, the weather got bad.  The outside temperature dropped 40 degrees in a matter of 5-minutes.  That is NOT a good sign.  Then...the hail started.  It was luckily the little hail, like the ice at a gas station soda fountain...those little ice pebbles.  But there was a lot of them.  I also put my diet Pepsi out the window to fill up.

From there, the winds picked up, the sky got green, and the rain.  There were no drops to speak of.  There were sheets of continuous rain.  While the rain was flying sideways, west to east...the debris began. Parts of trees mostly.  The entire expressway became a parking lot of flashing lights and worried drivers.

It is too easy to get panicked in a situation like this.  Your are scared and there is no way out.  You are in the middle of nowhere and there is no place to hide.

I have a long standing love for mother nature and storms.  Long story which I will have to write about some time.

This is the BEST time to use mindful calm.

By being aware of what is going on. Noticing what others are doing.  Noticing what you can and cannot do.  Not panicking. Instead, calming yourself with breathing.  As long as you are not hit by another car of massive debris, you will be fine.

I simply turned down the music, pulled over to the side with my flashers on. And listened and watched.  I breathed.  I listened to my breathing and paid attention to myself.  I was fine.  I kept my eyes open and watched to make sure those that were parked around me were fine.  I was patient and waited for things to clear and become safer before I got on the road again.  I did not rush myself, by took care of myself.

Being mindful is being aware and patient.  It is noticing what you should and should not do.

Be Mindful.

Peace.

Mark Levine

#Mindfulliteracy
@LevineWrites