There is No Bad Weather

There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.

                                                                                                                -Scandinavian Saying

This quote is an old but profound statement on how we view circumstances, particularly things that we cannot control like the weather.  It tells us that we cannot control some things, but that we can control our reaction to those things.  This may seem obvious, but how often do we complain about things we cannot control, like traffic, taxes, crime, politicians and of course weather.  News programs feature all of these things almost exclusively to elicit emotional reactions from people and make them watch more.

If we really think about it, though, would it not be better to prepare for those things as best we can and not worry about the things we cannot control? 

Traffic:  if you need to go somewhere, you need to plan for it and determine how long it will take you to get to your destination.  No amount of yelling at the traffic report or other drivers is going to change it one bit.  Longer term, you can plan to either move where you live or work closer so the commute is shorter.  You can also plan your trips based on traffic patterns.

Taxes:  we pay them at all levels of government and for all types of services.  Complaining about taxes will not change them.  You may also want to think about the fact that taxes pay for many of the things we enjoy every day like roads, police, streetlights and garbage disposal.  Being upset at government inefficiencies and wasting our tax dollars will also not change things in the short term.  However, there are a number of ways to reduce your taxes like investing in more tax efficient or no tax vehicles and using legal tax shelters and structures to protect your income and assets.  Investing in a good tax accountant and lawyer is a much better strategy to deal with high taxation than complaining about it.

I have always preferred saying that “there is no bad weather, just weather”.  It is neutral, like gravity.  We don’t complain about gravity, we just accept it and act accordingly.  We do not blame gravity if we fall down or drop something.  This may seem absurd, but is blaming the weather not the same exact thing?  We can, however, prepare for weather, whatever it is, and make ourselves feel more in control of our circumstances.

If it is going to be cold, we put on more clothing.  Complaining about it will not warm us up but a good coat, hat and boots certainly will.  Putting on sunscreen and wearing a hat are much better solutions to sunburn and overheating than complaining about the sun.

The wonderful thing about this approach is that once you accept the things you cannot control and plan for them, a whole new world of possibilities opens up.  Rather than bundle up inside on a snowy day, we can go outside with our families and make snowmen, play in the snow, ski, snowboard even shovel the snow and get a great workout.  Some of the most popular sports in the world rely on the cold and snow:  hockey, skating, skiing and snowboarding, sledding and tobogganing to name just a few.  Imagine if people just stayed inside and complained about the weather instead of getting out and enjoying it.

So, the next time there is “weather,” put on the “warm coat” of planning ahead so that you arrive at your destination when you need to regardless of traffic.  Put on the “sunscreen” of good tax and investment planning to reduce your taxes and increase your income and net worth.  Put on your hat and gloves with your family and throw some snowballs and make snow angels!

Find suitable “clothing” and go do the things that make you happy.