Are You A Thermometer Or A Thermostat?
You've got them in your house, but have you ever thought about what truly differentiates the thermometer from the thermostat?
The thermometer in your home reads the room and adjusts to the external surroundings. It's controlled by external factors.
The thermostat is set and remains steady no matter what the external conditions are. The controls are internal and constant.
To understand why I'm talking about HVAC, instead of, say, burnout or intentional living…I'd like you to consider these common life events.
How do you respond to them? Are you a thermometer or a thermostat?
You couldn't get in to see your doctor for three months, and the day of the appointment arrives. Your appointment is scheduled for 2:00pm, and you get there early to check in. As you settle into the seat in the waiting room, you notice others are being taken back to their rooms. And you wait. And you wait. And you wait. Finally at 3:30 a nurse calls your name and takes you back to the exam room. You get changed into that paper gown. And you wait... again. Your doctor eventually rolls into your room around 4:00pm. ARGH! Is your reaction more like a thermometer or a thermostat?
It's Wednesday evening, and you've had a relatively good day at work. You're feeling fine and you're happy to be home. However, things quickly change when you open the door from the garage to the house. You can almost taste the tension in the air. Your four year old twins are arguing over who's turn it is with the shared iPad. And your spouse is yelling at your oldest, "Turn off the tv and find your soccer equipment. If we don't leave in 5 minutes, we'll be late!". Thermometer or thermostat?
In our busy, sometimes frenetic days, it's so easy to get caught up in reacting to the "temperature of the room".
Without thinking about it, we often soak in other people's emotions and before we know it, WE'RE the ones taking on the stress and overwhelm that wasn't ours to begin with.
It's a natural response to react like a thermometer.
However, constantly reacting to, and being pushed and pulled by other people's moods and agendas, gets exhausting. And it's not just tiring. Our physical health takes a huge hit when we absorb other people's stuff.
So what's our protection against the constant barrage of emotional shrapnel in our everyday world?
Be a thermostat, not a thermometer.
Thermostat people have an internal locus of control. They know they have the power to control how they respond, no matter what's going on around them. Their reactions are controlled and they are not affected by external factors.
Thermostat people are resilient.
Resilient people are happy.
Happy people love their lives.
The next time you feel the temperature rise in your house, and you go to adjust the thermostat... Remember that you have that same power.
Want to learn more strategies and tools to lead a balanced, thermostat life?
Every first Friday of the month, I host “Hi’s Lows and Strategies To Go”.
Email me at Lisa@livingfullybalanced.com and I’ll send you the details.
Bring your wins, your challenges and leave with some awesome life strategies.
I’m keeping it simple for now, so just email me and I’ll send you the login details.
I’d love to see you have more “thermostat” days!
Lisa
P.S. Email me at lisa@livingfullybalanced.com and I’ll be sure you get all the details for my free, monthly Hi’s Lows And Strategies To Go Sessions.