Thermometer or Thermostat?

 

Thermometer: A thermometer is a device that measures temperature.

Thermostat: A thermostat controls temperature so that it is maintained near a desired set point.

 

The thermometer reacts to the ambient temperature and tells us that it is hot enough to prepare a four-course meal without the use of a stove or it is cold enough to freeze any exposed skin in seven seconds flat.

On the other hand, we can set a thermostat on a furnace or air conditioner so that it is always pleasant in our indoor environment.

When they were little girls, I often asked my daughters if they wanted to be a thermometer or a thermostat.

Do you want to just react to what is going on in your life or do you want to set the tone of your life?

The” thermometer” goes up when everything is rosy, and it goes down when things are tough. It gives us an accurate picture of how things are, but I say it is a very passive way of thinking and acting.

The “thermostat” is set, and it remains steady in the face of the everyday problems that beset us and it even works during the occurrence of catastrophic events. It is a proactive way of thinking and acting.

I have always tried to be a thermostat. At home. At work. With friends and family. I sometimes falter but this principle has always seen me through.

In order to be a “thermostat”, you have to know, without a doubt, that you are in charge of your own life and your own happiness. For me, the rock that allows me to “become” this set point, is my faith in God. Period.

I am not perfect and I don’t mean to imply that I am. It’s just that I see the world around me and I want to tell people who are running around like sheep following this trend and that one, that there is a peaceful, joyful way.

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful, maybe thoughtful, weekend. – Maureen.

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

Only in Canada, eh!

We are having a beautiful autumn here in Ottawa, the nation’s capital. The weather for the past week and been warm and sunny and the changing colours are gorgeous. I have tried to get out for a walk or a bike ride every day. On today’s bike ride I told my husband that we have to memorize today and bring it back to mind when we have had twenty days in a row of below-freezing temperatures with high winds and blowing snow.

The Greenboro Trail today.

 

Did you know that one of my daughters works about a five-minute walk from my house? Today I walked over to meet her and we drove to a small mall nearby. The first store we went to was Mark’s. Now Mark’s used to be called Mark’s Work Warehouse. It was known for selling work clothes for men. Not suits and ties and silk shirts kind of workers. The kind of men who repair roads and climb hydro poles during Canada’s worst weather. The kind of men who dig and hammer and sweat and connect things and build bridges, and…

 

Well, Mark’s still sells work clothes but they also sell women’s clothes and I have to say their new fall line is gorgeous. We browsed and oohed and aahed. And then I spotted something I had never seen in any store anywhere in the world before. It took me by surprise and I had to take a photo of it.

 

Before I go on, you have to remember that today Ottawa is the warmest city in Canada at 26C (79F). It’s October. But Mark’s is ready for winter.

 

The Testing Room

 

In the middle of the store was this full-sized Freezing Room, where you could step in to test the effectiveness of Mark’s winter clothing.

 

Only in Canada!!! Eh?

 

Thanks for reading. Have a great day!