Embrace the weather: a guide to willingness
Every morning there is a familiar ritual in our household. Waking to wet-nose nudges, excitable licks and the wagging tails of our two dogs. After coffee (of course), they know what’s coming next and there is no arguing. They need their walk.
Some mornings, like this morning, it’s a joy. The sun was coming up with a palette of pink and orange hues. There was a light mist that was painting the fields. There was plenty of wildlife to be seen (buzzards, deer, pink-footed geese among others). But then there are the other mornings, the ones that are wet, dark, grey and dismal. These days create resistance from within. The struggle between a cherished value (my dogs) and the desire to avoid discomfort (the wet, the cold, the hassle of getting dressed in head to toe waterproofs). It’s on mornings like these that the idea of willingness is brought into focus.
Willingness is the choice to ‘make room’ for difficult feelings, so that they don’t block the path to what’s important to you. It’s not about liking the discomfort. It’s about choosing to carry your entire inner experience with you as you take a step towards what you value.
Let’s put that another way. Say the thought ‘I’m not good enough’ comes up when a job opportunity arises. It’s accompanied by feelings of anxiety and sadness. Shoulders feel tense and hands have a slight tremble. Your automatic inclination is to try and get rid of or avoid these uncomfortable experiences. You might put off the application, you might avoid applying, you might try to distract ourselves with something else, or you might engage in a mental argument with your thoughts. You’re in a struggle, a tug-of-war with your internal experiences. This is tiring, it’s distracting, it can compound the pain additional feelings of regret, guilt and more anxiety may show up. It can pull your attention away from the things that matter. Being willing is the choice to drop the rope, to acknowledge the discomfort that is here right now, whilst moving towards what’s important.
On those wet mornings, as I walk across the field, rain dripping from my hood, I notice how the dogs seem entirely unfazed by the weather. They don’t resist the drizzle or wish for sunshine. They’re simply here, fully engaged in the moment, noses to the ground, tails swaying with purpose. Nature doesn’t fight the rain or the cold either. The trees bend with the wind rather than against it. The river doesn’t try to stop its current; it moves with what’s given.
Recognising this can ground us and willingness invites us to take a similar stance. To meet our inner weather with the same openness we see in the natural world. We don’t need to like the discomfort to be willing to carry it with us as we move toward what we value.
In practice, this might mean pausing for a breath when discomfort shows up, whether it’s the sting of rain on your face or the knot of anxiety in your stomach, and quietly asking yourself:
What really matters to me in this moment?
What am I willing to feel, if it allows me to live that value right now?
What small step could I take toward that value, even with this discomfort present?
You might notice that when you soften your resistance, space opens up. Instead of being consumed by the struggle to make things comfortable or certain, you become part of the flow of things, just like in nature. This shift allows you take a risks, to apply for that job opportunity, not because the anxiety is gone, but because you’re willing to bring it with you.
If you’d like to explore how nature can help you practice willingness, to move with, rather than against, life’s weather, I’d love to walk alongside you. My outdoor therapy sessions offer a space to connect with the landscape, your values, and your inner world in a compassionate, grounded way. So, if your ready to drop the rope and step into your life, get in touch to arrange a free consultation.