Day 20

Brr... what I wouldn't give to be a kid again sometimes and actually enjoy when it snows. Nowadays I get caught up in thinking about how horrible my drive is going to be, or the inevitability of shoveling my ramp, or simply how cold and wet my hands become from those little frozen teardrops.

Today I wanted to change that. It is all about how you perceive things anyways, isn't it? Once my seasonal chore of shoveling was over I took some of the remaining snow along the edges of my walkway and started to attempt a sphere shape.

Apparently it has been a long time since I was a kid because the way NOT to make a snowman is by molding sphere shapes between your hands. This simply doesn't work. The snow was stubborn and wanted to remain its quintessential flakes full of uniqueness and individuality. They wouldn't melt enough to form together so I had to come up with a Plan B.

This plan went a little smoother. Starting from the base of my walkway, I began packing the snow, working upwards until I developed a mount that was more reminiscent of an anthill rather than a snowman. It was a good thing that I came prepared. I quickly outfitted my little frozen man with all of the appropriate appendages and attire: unused scarf from the corner of my closet, half of a carrot nose, little black button eyes (which ended up being different sizes and caused the little guy to look a bit worried), and a big red button in the middle of his torso to simulate some sort of clothing.

Maybe it is because I tend to get really mesmerized by the crafts that I take on, or maybe it is because I had a little bit of that kid still in me after all these years; but whatever the case, my snowman construction took away all of the anxiety, disappointment, and bothersome feelings of snow.

This little guy taught me that it is how you look at things that make all the difference. If you spend your days with anxiety on certain matters, those matters will plague you. If you change your thinking and those matters no longer cause negative emotions, things might start to appear in a whole new light.

One of the most powerful things that I have learned through all of my experiences here on Earth is that the world really only exists the way that I perceive it. When the world is good and right, it is so because I feel it to be. When the world is dark and full of despair, it is so for the very same reasons. If you learn to control the way that you see and feel the world, then you can actually change how you live in the world.

It's so fascinating that all of this came about from one little snowman.