3.14.14

Breakfast - 2 Blueberry Poptarts

Lunch - Jason's Deli Chicken Alfredo

Dinner - 1/3 of a 2 liter of Wild Cherry Pepsi

One of those days

Every now and again we all have "one of those days." You know, the kind with the negative connotation. Whether it's just a slow, frustrating day where nothing seems to be going your way or a day of sheer tragedy and pain, we all can relate to the phrase.

One thing I've been contemplating lately about "those days" is how when you are in it, like totally in the moment of discouragement, all you want is to not be in that position. You recall all the times you were happy and too busy making memories to waste a second of time caring about the inevitability of "one of those days" approaching you in the near future. And while you're there, stuck with this inescapable feeling of overwhelming anxiety, you ask the universe and God to be anywhere but where you are. To take you away from everything you have to face. To speed up time so it can all be over and you can get back to being normal.

Normal. That's all you want. Which is funny, because when things are normal all you want is for things to be great.

Humans, we're never satisfied.

I think the key to dealing with these kinds of situations is anticipation. Anticipation that these days are inevitable and that the feeling of "anything but this right now" will visit you again. Because when you anticipate it you gain a new perspective. A perspective of appreciation for the simple and normal. You begin to live consciously of what right now could be and appreciate it for what it is, or rather, for what it is not. 

Every simple, sweet day where you aren't sucked into despair becomes beautiful. Rather than living a life of complacency and contentment, you live a life of appreciation of beauty in the mundane.

Now here's the other end of the spectrum. Most people struggle with feeling either restless or useless when things are just normal. "Gosh, I'm stuck in this dead-end job and I feel like I'm meant for so much more." Our easier-said-then-done culture loves to tweet tid bits of inspiration that tell you "drop everything and chase your dreams right now!" but reality doesn't exactly agree with this mentality. Most of us have bills and responsibilities to others that we can't easily disregard for a chance at "the dream."

I believe in timing. That God has you taken care of and at just the right time things are going to fall into place for you to chase your dream. Gradually things will begin to go from normal to great. Step by step. The key is being ready and aware when it happens. Most people hate leaving things up to God or "fate" because we live in a very impatient society. How then do we go about gaining more patience?

Now we've come full circle.

If anticipation leads to appreciation, and appreciation leads to seeing beauty in the mundane, then our tolerance level rises and we become more patient with where we are at in life. We might be anxious for the next thing to hurry up and get here but if we learn to revel in the beauty of now we become patient and willing to wait for God's perfect plan.

All I am trying to get at here is the idea that when "one of those days" hits you, embrace it. Soak it up. Allow yourself to go through the motions cause there is nothing else you can do. But tomorrow will come. It's inevitable. And when it does you'll be grateful that today is no longer yesterday, and that you are one day closer to God's perfect plan of you chasing your dream.