“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud”, Maya Angelou

Are you more of a cloud or a sun? Everyone is a mixture of both. You can’t be a sunshine all the time, life brings us its share of complexity and it’s normal to have slumps in those moments. But you can try to be as shiny as possible. And when you are in this state, think of others and share some sunshine with them

I love this quote from Maya Angelou since I saw it on Momentum, this browser plug-in that allows you to always have a great picture and an inspiring quote when you open a new tab.

I looked it up and found a very nice clip on Youtube of a passage where she explains what she means by to. I invite you to search for this moment. Maya Angelou is so inspiring, she seems infinitely kind and wise.

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud”. To do this, we have to consider 2 different axes: to make sure we have rainbows in our own clouds to keep moving forward, and to create them in others.

Your own clouds can have rainbows

Few things are all black. At least, it depends on how you view those clouds. Sometimes the lessons are well hidden but all experiences bring their share of positives.

Take with you, all the time, people, moments or skills that make you feel bigger, more loved and more surrounded.

You have met suns. Turn them into rainbows when you’re not doing so well. Then you will never be completely in the dark. You’ll always have a view of the sunbeam just behind you that turns the densest clouds into colorful wonders.

Many legends accompany the rainbows. Leprechauns or unicorns play on the rainbows and bring good luck. The magic that revolves around rainbows should serve us well.

Take 2 minutes to think of all the suns that are with you and that you can keep with you in difficult times

Be the sun for others

Now that you have found your suns and kept them with you, your negative experiences will seem more surmountable. You will feel stronger.

By being better in your head, how about helping others do the same?

We all have the ability, almost the power, to help others get through the cloud. To do this it is essential to be mindful of others.

In my opinion, you can:

• Ask for real news. We often settle for “How are you? How are you? Good” which is clearly more of a politeness formula than anything else and which often does not give rise to good reactions if the answer is negative. For your loved ones especially, take the time to dig deep regularly to find out if they are doing well.
• Listen actively. The fact that there is a need to add the adjective “active” shows that we do not always listen properly. Pay attention to the other person, to what they are saying. You will see that the people who listen to you will return this attention. It is thanks to this attention that you will be able to find the right words to support your loved ones
• Be attentive to what is not said. Often when you are in the middle of the clouds, you don’t know how to broach the subject, even with your loved ones. But behavior says a lot. Observe your loved ones and detect the signs of low energy, the small blows to morale, …

You are not alone. Spread the word around you. Speak words of support and comfort to those who may need it. They will keep you among their rainbows as you keep yours preciously.