Fear and caution are not the same thing

How to Survive the Polar Vortex

Let me get straight to the facts: it's cold outside, at least if you live in the Midwest or Eastern regions. It seems that we have been invaded by a mass of cold air called a "polar vortex," which is known all over as "winter."

Truth be told, I find this a bit amusing. Last week I skied in -10F weather, with winds around 20 mph. No doubt it was cold, and I had to take a break every couple of runs. But while my fingers and toes were cold, my body was sweating and there was a big smile on my face.

Back at work today, I went to work in temperatures that seemed balmy compared to last week.

If you want to know how to survive this deadly cold, let me share a tip I learned from many years of outdoor adventures: wear more clothing.

Lest I sound insensitive, I know some pipes will burst, heating systems will fail, and unprepared folks may get into trouble. I feel bad about these situations, but even on warm days stuff happens.

The real challenge isn't surviving the cold; it's surviving the fear-mongering that sometimes surrounds you.

People overreact. They think the sky is falling. They are so bored that they almost crave disasters. Common sense tells you to ignore this nonsense, but this is hard to do when there are 207,000 Google News citations for polar vortex. (207,001 as soon as I publish this piece.)

Fear and caution are not the same thing

I spend a lot of time driving from Rawalpindi to Murree, and in the winter I always have plenty of warm clothes and a pair of gloves in the car, in case we get stuck in the middle of nowhere. This is called caution.

Some people might avoid driving entirely when it is very cold outside. This is called fear. It is how people end up living their lives in a very small box.

Truth is, I'm more cautious than many. My friends will tell you I look for patterns in the weather, in the economy, and in the world. I prepare myself and my family for situations that could be dangerous, so that when something surprising happens, we are not that surprised.

But I also know that each of us is tougher than we think, and that life's biggest challenge is taking a bit more control of your own thoughts and emotions.