Apparently winter 2014 was chosen by the Gods to be my season of bad days. Not bad. Horrible. The past two or three weeks I have experienced some real ups and downs that make me feel worn out and unhappy at the end of the day. Fortunately my naivety keeps me jumping out of bed in the morning just to be knocked back down again, but at least I'm getting up.
I recently called my mom to complain about my feelings. Classic. And she ended up giving me some great advice that has helped me get out of this slump. She said to me, "Honey, that's life." It could not have been said more simply and I thank her for that characteristic because it keeps me moving forward. But while a bad day may be inevitable, even bad weeks or years, no one should go to bed feeling hopeless and shattered. Whether it is stress, friends, boys, mental health, stolen car, broken heart, mean girls, hard graders, or embarrassing spills down the stairs, you can over come it. Why?
Because you are greater than any one given day out of your life.
Yes, even the great days. Even that time you met Beyonce and then had a whole carton of ice cream to yourself. And especially the worst days.
While we're here on this beautiful earth, we all should try to remember that we can't be defined by 24 hours.
Here are the three realizations that help me to do so:
1. Stress is poison
So take a break! Stop for 30 seconds, 20 minutes, or two hours and breathe. Then read a fascinating article, eat an orange, find a soft blanket, think about your baby cousin or listen to your favorite song. After that go back to your life. Does it feel a little better this time? By stopping to breathe and collect yourself and then remembering the buzzing and changing of the world around you, you can conquer anything.
2. Inspiration is everywhere.
If you find beauty in your everyday interactions and discoveries, you will end up focusing a lot less on the ugly. If you soak up inspiration, beauty, and good vibes you might also find a better ability to think creatively about certain situations and even help you to avoid bad ones that cause a rough day.
3. Get Organized. Get Sleep. Repeat.
I would say 33.33% of my mistakes and slip ups that cause a bad day, come from being unprepared, 33.33% from being unorganized, and 33.33% from being tired. And if one goes, they all do. Therefore 100% of my mistakes and slip ups come from being unorganizedunpreparedtired. It's a new term. A friend was just sharing her woeful tale about her all night study session for an exam that led to her forgetting to turn in the exam at the end of the class period. When your brain has not been recharged it does not operate correctly and mistakes begin to slip through the cracks even when you're prepared and organized. On the other end of the spectrum, you can get 15 hours of sleep, but will you be fully prepared for the day?
Even though I blamed the Gods for my bad days, I really should be turning the blame on me. It is in my power to turn my day around even when it seems like that day is your life's biggest challenge. So get inspired, get some sleep, and get ready for the best that is yet to come.
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