Episode 244 : Make your own weather
Episode 244 : Make your own weather
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Make your own weather- episode 244
Make your own weather- episode 244
“There is space between stimulus and response.” In this week’s podcast, I share a reminder of the book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. I mentioned making our own weather, so we are not so affected by other people's moods or reactions. I remind you that there is a space between stimulus and response where we have a choice. I tell us the story of the Golden goose, and I clarify the difference between the circle of influence and your circle of concern. Then touch on the first habit of being proactive. Then leave you with a challenge to go and review this book, or my podcasts (ep. 95-104) as you think about your becoming in 2026.
Show Notes: Hi Friends! I hope you enjoyed listening to this episode. Below are all the references.
Key Topics
Key Topics
Why January can feel especially difficult — emotionally and physically
The idea of “making your own weather,” particularly in winter
Revisiting The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as a yearly practice
Habit 1: Be Proactive as the foundation for change
Paradigms, belief systems, and “belief windows”
Why real change requires a shift in thinking, not just behavior
Choosing responses instead of reacting to circumstances
Parenting teens through busy, demanding seasons
Carrying emotional steadiness for others without absorbing their stress
Key Quote
Key Quote
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.”
Core Ideas I Explore
Core Ideas I Explore
Paradigms Matter
Paradigms Matter
Our beliefs shape how we see and experience our lives
Changing habits without examining beliefs often doesn’t last
The “wrong map” analogy — effort doesn’t help if the map is incorrect
Choice & Agency
Choice & Agency
There is always a space between stimulus and response
No one “makes” us feel a certain way — we choose our response
We carry our emotional weather with us wherever we go
Circle of Influence vs. Circle of Concern
Circle of Influence vs. Circle of Concern
Worrying about things we can’t control drains energy
Focusing on what we can influence expands our impact
Small, intentional actions build momentum and hope
Don’t Kill the Golden Goose
Don’t Kill the Golden Goose
Production matters, but so does caring for the source
Relationships and personal well-being require maintenance
People are always more important than results
Personal Stories & Reflections
Personal Stories & Reflections
Winter mornings, seminary drop-offs, and Cleveland’s gray skies
Learning to adjust expectations (one hour instead of one full day)
Parenting a very busy high schooler with compassion and perspective
Shifting from blame to responsibility in difficult relationships
Discovering peace by focusing on what I can control
An Invitation From the Episode
An Invitation From the Episode
Try practicing being proactive for 30 days
Listen to your language: “I have to” vs. “I choose to”
Identify your circle of influence and start there
Keep small commitments to yourself — they build trust and confidence
Remember: Anytime you think the problem is “out there,” that very thought may be the problem
Sources & Further Reading
Sources & Further Reading
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Stephen R. Covey, First Things First
Hyrum W. Smith, The Belief Window (youtube)
Episode 29 — Your Belief Window (Finding the Floor)
Episodes 95–104 — The 7 Habits Series (Finding the Floor, Summer 2022)
Viktor Frankl, - 4 keys to your life's meaning
Teachings on agency and accountability from faith-based and leadership traditions
transcript
transcript
I am Camille Johnson, and this is Finding the Floor.
Stories and reflections of midlife motherhood, family, and finding meaning in it all.
Join me as I share a little piece of my life and figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
Hey friends, welcome to Finding the Four.
And today I'm calling this episode Make Your Own Weather.
And this is a review of the book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
And it's not really a total review of the book.
It's like a reminder of the book, I guess I should say.
a reminder maybe to review this book this year.
been there for so long for many of us that we don't really think about it.
So I decided I would just go back and review.
And I just found that on my Hoopla app, which is connected to my local library.
So you could check that on your library if you don't want to buy the book.
But it is just a really good review.
We choose to get up for seminary.
Sometimes we don't choose to get up accurately.
And sometimes in the snow it takes longer.
you need to make your own weather, especially generating sunshine.
It really bothered me when I first moved here because it is a lot of no sun.
I know I've heard of people having like the happy light that helps with that.
And I just feel like there's also this true belief that I've
And in that first Sabbath, he's kind of explaining the whole principle of the whole book.
That simple principle of like starting anew can help you get through January.
So like I've just been thinking about those two things too.
It's just kind of cool as you, January can kind of be hard, especially for
And as you think about that, can help you maybe get through.
Because when this comes out, it's going to be the middle of January.
And I'm just recording it the day before.
So on the 14th, it's just kind of a good thing to remember.
as we think about getting through this longer month that is kind of dark and cold.
And today we have the blessed gift of a snow day.
And I didn't think it would actually happen, but I just was like so excited.
And I just have one now in school.
There's something about school getting canceled because of snow.
So we've been hunkered down, enjoying the snow day, and I'm taking time to get this recorded.
So here we go with thinking about the book, 7 Habits for Highly Effective People.
Now, I spent a whole summer talking about this book and trying to implement the habits.
There's some things that I feel like I've kind of stopped doing and then I need to pick back up.
And that's kind of my goal is this year is to try to remember all those things.
But if you want to review any of those episodes, it was in the summer of 2022.
And it started with episode 95 and finishes with episode 104.
And then I talk about making your own mission statement and how you do that.
the seven habits that just help you live an effective life.
Okay, so as I was reviewing habit one,
And that when we want to make significant change, it's not going to be just through behaviors.
It's going to be through that significant paradigm shift.
Or there's also an episode that I talked about, Your Belief Window, which is episode 29.
And that was given by this other kind of business guy named Hyrum Smith.
a look at what those are to be able to make significant change.
And this is sort of like the intro to that, but
He says, imagine you're visiting San Francisco and you're trying to get around.
You have a map that you think is San Francisco, but in reality, it's a map of Los Angeles.
I wonder if that's correct or incorrect.
You know, this time of year, it's like, oh, I want to lose weight.
I want to get more fit is a very typical goal.
And as I've been thinking about that, do I want to get more fit?
Do I want to change the way I eat?
I've been thinking about like, why do I want to get more fit?
And what do I think will happen when that happens?
Like sometimes I love the exercise.
I think Jody Moore has talked about this.
And when, if you could wave a magic wand and have, let's say,
And it just seems like that one day would never happen.
And so I would get frustrated because there were obligations or things would come up.
Especially as a mom, I just feel like that's not even realistic.
I'm more productive, I'm more content, and I'm not as frustrated because I don't need a whole day.
And so just even something so small as that can really just make a difference.
So those are things that I think are really good to think about.
And so it's just a good reminder that we always have a choice.
And I've noticed that my daughter, who's in high school right now, is really super busy.
And it's been like that all year.
because of just a few things that changed.
Like she loves playing soccer, and so she's on the soccer team.
But this year, they decided to do the musical.
So that added just this new layer to her already busy schedule.
And then on top of seminary, some days she would start and go to seminary at 6 A.m.
So she'd be getting up at 5 or a little after 5, and then she'd get home at 8 at night.
And she would just be kind of exhausted and frustrated.
So now she's in swimming, but the show choir needed a trumpeter.
And so that added another layer.
And sometimes I think when we have our busy lives,
we need to remember that we chose all of the things that we're doing.
Like I chose my family, I chose my husband, I chose to have a bigger family, I chose where we live.
Like all these different things are really important as you think about your life.
So before we react, there's space.
And so we don't have to be so affected by our circumstances or by the reactions of other people.
think about that with the weather here in Cleveland.
Okay, so that is just a really good point.
And I think so many people I've heard talk about this, but that we choose a response.
And I think it's because of knowing this from Stephen Covey is that no one makes us feel any way.
It may seem like that, it may seem like we get this reaction, but we have a choice.
Okay, one of the other really great reminders.
And so then he gets like 1 egg A day.
now is rich because this goose is laying golden eggs.
But the goose can only produce one egg a day, so there wasn't any extra eggs.
So the poor man, who was no longer poor, this rich man, got so greedy
that he forgot what was actually giving him that wealth and he wasn't taking care of his goose.
Are you taking care of them so they keep functioning?
like your car and your lawnmower?
Are you taking the time to take care of it so it will take care of you?
The other is with your relationships.
And it's just such a good reminder that people are most important.
Okay, and then one of the last reminders from
And then you can go back and listen to all the other episodes.
Again, they were episode 95 through, I think, 104.
But that there is a difference between our circle of concern and our circle of influence.
And it's so easy to be worried about things that we have no control over.
What are things that I can control?
What are we doing like with work?
or made this example of, I don't know if it was a true story or not.
So he would just tell them to go do this and go to this kind of
what Stephen Covey says is like the gopher model.
Go do this, go for this, go for that.
And so most of the people in the leadership team would complain about his leadership style.
So he got an assignment to research this particular thing for a presentation.
And that was in his circle of influence.
And because of that presentation, the CEO began to trust him more because he saw that he was like,
my gosh, he's thinking about all these things.
And the man ends up being promoted and his circle of influence grows.
And then he becomes like the second most influential person in the particular business.
What are things that he could do to kind of work in a circle of influence?
And sometimes there's nothing really I can do about it.
How can I be a better neighbor or a better parent or a better volunteer at school?
Or how can I help my schools be better?
What are things that I can do?
or I can help and bring a meal to my neighbors or someone in my church.
Those are the circle of influences that we have.
That's where we can make a difference.
And so those are just a really good way to think about that.
And I was just thinking about a relationship that in my extended family that I wish were better.
And I've noticed that I've kind of been blaming this person.
And then how can I help strengthen that relationship somehow?
But now I think about, how can I change the way I think about this person?
And what are things that I could do even though this person may or may not reciprocate?
Okay, and then one thing that I thought was so, also I think is so important and is something that
And he says, especially with yourself.
And that will show you that you're proactive.
Because that is someone, someone who's proactive keeps commitments.
So I just think this book is so good.
And I think in some ways it's really sad that Stephen Covey died in 2012.
And so it's just been a long time.
He was a, I mean, I guess he was 80, almost 80 at the time.
So I mean, maybe he wouldn't have made it this long, but it's just a good reminder.
And I think, he's got his sons who are carrying on.
They've written other books for teenagers and for college students.
And he has another son who's written a book on trust that I've reviewed that's been really good.
But I think this one just has such great principles that will help you through your life.
Okay, so as a reminder, here are the first three principles.
And these first three principles are related to how you get to be independent.
The first habit is be proactive.
Second habit is begin with the end in mind.
And I spoke a little bit about that last week as we think about our goals.
And then the third habit is put first things first.
So these first three have to do with really becoming an independent person.
Like we're not being affected so much by everybody else.
We're in control of ourselves.
And so the last three habits have to do with how we interact with other people.
says the 4th one is think win-win.
The 5th habit is seek to understand before being understood.
And the 7th habit is sharpening the saw.
And I think reviewing these books probably each year, it's been a few for me.
So this is going to be really good as I think about doing that.
At the end of the little audio book that I was listening to about habit one, be proactive,
he invites everybody listening to try it for 30 days.
So I'm going to invite you to maybe try being proactive for 30 days.
But one great reminder as you think about what you're doing is listen to your language.
Are you kind of think I have to do things?
As you think about your choices and kind of developing your own weather,
that you have a space between stimulus and response.
Anytime you think the problem is out there, that very thought is the problem.
Find ways that you can be proactive and change that paradigm shift
Okay, you guys, go and review this amazing book.
Okay, thanks for listening you guys.
I hope you enjoyed today's episode.
Special thanks to Seth Johnson for creating and performing the theme music.
Come back next week and thanks for listening.
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