Sometimes when I find myself digging a hole of self-pity—even for as something as trivial as being clogged in a traffic-jam all it takes is a tiny reminder to myself that my life really is good. I cannot promise that the universe won’t test you on this, especially the days when someone rides your bumper like a magnetic force has taken over their steering wheel. Instead of flipping them the bird as they finally speed around you, give them a wave and a smile. It will make you laugh and hopefully confuse the crap out of them. What will emerge next may surprise you–a mood change will rear its head and arise into your life.
It is so important that we focus on creating a positive frame of mind, to ensure that we are the best version of ourselves especially when it comes to interacting with others. On a plane when they advise you to place your own air mask on first before assisting others is the same practice here. You cannot walk around with your eyebrows diving into the bridge of your nose and expect that someone will approach you for a friendly chitchat. We need to perform some self-love before we can be compassionate to those around us.
Be aware of your emotions & feel them. It really is okay to feel things– I promise. If you become aware of what’s going on in that head of yours, it makes it easier to decide how you will let those thoughts impact your emotions. It is easy to get stressed and frustrated– but when we focus on our inner dialogue & pinpoint what contributes to that stress—it can pave the way to a solution. Even if that solution happens to be a large glass of wine.
In all seriousness, these ideas sound great on paper, but how do we truly utilize these positive mind practices? Below are some small tweaks we can make to be less of a Sour Patch Kid in our daily lives.
Tip #1: Think of your perfect morning, and map it out. What does it look like? What noises surround you? What fragrances seep into your nostrils? Do you go the gym, or better yet, do you sprint to the coffee pot and graze on a day old muffin for 30 min? It is ultimately up to you.
In the commotion of our daily routines, we lose the sparkle. So how do we reroute this?
Set aside some time to create the morning of your dreams, no matter what side of the bed you wake up on. If that seems like a stretch from reality, at least make sure your favorite music station is playing in the background while you get dressed. Personally, I like to check my snap chat to see what videos I may have missed the night before from my darling red headed niece. It can be as simple as that.
Tip #2: Create a list of positive affirmations. In other words, what reminders can you give yourself that help boost the morning work week blues? If you have been hitting the gym hard and you catch a glimpse of your bodacious booty as you walk by the mirror, tell yourself you are lookin’ good. If you have been grinding away at work and no one seems to notice, remind yourself how badass you are & believe it. I know it may sound cheesy, but sometimes cheesy works.
Once you are able to see yourself in a favorable light, you will be free to compliment others and make their day. Taking the time to notice another human’s existence and making them feel good will never go out of style.
When I’m in the checkout line at the grocery store, I always make sure to strike up a conversation with the cashier. In college, when I lived off of juice boxes and Bagels, I would head across the street to the local grocery store and stock up late at night. There was an older man there that would always be working the graveyard shift and he never looked down about it. I remember I noticed this about him and wondered if anyone had given him the time of day. I was loading up my Capri Sun and asked if he wanted one. He looked up at me, stunned at first, and then his cheeks grew flushed. “Really?” he asked, as if I’d offered him a golden ticket. He took it and placed it in the cabinet next to him and told me that he couldn’t wait to have it on his break. To some that may be just another interaction, but to this day I can still envision the look on his face when I handed it to him. Pure happiness folks, is what that feels like.
Written By: Hayley Sutherland