Minnesotans celebrate the first snow and the seventh, but not when it snows on the 4th of July. Recently, my goldendoodle puppy, Simba taught me an important lesson about going with the flow. I was worried Simba won’t find enough grass in deep winter. From shoveling a small patch in the yard to getting artificial grass—I weighed many different options. But when it snowed, Simba just marched into the white landscape, ran around, and loved getting wet. 

Snow in Minnesota, heat in Arizona, dust storms in the Sahara are inevitable. You can’t change the weather. But your mind has the choice to accept the extremes if you live at one of these places. That’s choosing wisely.

Acceptance doesn’t mean I love the dust storm. Accept means I won’t fight a psychological battle with the storm. Instead, I will save my energy to do what I can to stay safe and savor other aspects of life. 

Acceptance helps you transcend your limitations, even personal disabilities, so you turn them into strengths, transforming your life and lifting others. That’s the legacy of Helen Keller. 

Think of a few uncontrollable aspects of your life that you are willing to accept today. 

Excerpted from the book, That Makes Sense: Resilience-insights to lift your day.