Yesterday I decided to meet my friends for a run at their early morning time – 5:30 AM. What the h*** was I thinking. Since I’m the kind of person who needs to eat before a run, I had to get up at 4:45. This was a seriously crazy decision.
As you would expect, if you’ve read any of my blogs, I had to go to the bathroom 1/2 way through the 6 mile run. So, my friends graciously stop at a porta potty and start walking. I step in, knowing that the oh-so-particular smell will come over me and I’ll have to stop breathing for a period of time.
However, I immediately notice that there’s no smell. In fact, I realize that I’m the first person to go to the bathroom in this porta potty (don’t ask me how I knew!). I was also the first person to take the wrapping off the toilet paper. How cool is that?! I finished up by telling my friends how fantastic the potty was!!! They murmur their support but I realize that I’ve likely hit an all time low when the porta potty excites me.
At home, the boys seemed in a decent mood (always better with food in front of them) and, I head out for the first of many meetings.
The rest seemed to go rather smoothly: two complements on my dress, someone asked me where I get my hair cut, someone at the gas station paid $5.00 of my gas (so nice!), I got a new client and someone bought me a sangria at the end of the evening and I drank the entire thing!
When I got home, I got to thinking, we all have good days and bad days. And, sometimes we just think that there’s a sign about how our day will go (fitting that for me, that sign was a potty) or that the day will just “happen” due to events beyond our control. Yet, the truth is, we have significant power to create good day or not-so-good day.
Honestly, as simple as it sounds, I think gratitude results in good days for me. Even though I’m having teenage boy issues here at home, if I remind myself how lucky I am that they are who they are and how grateful I should be about what I have, my day feels better. When I play those negative tapes (of which I have many!) my day does not feel as good.
I suppose this is Psychology 101 … but I must have needed a reminder that whether or not the porta potty smells or is clean, it will not effect my day (although, it does help!).
It’s a choice – we make our day good or not good. And, even more importantly, our attitude can make the day of those around us!
So, today, let’s make it a great day, help someone and have a fantastic start to the weekend!
theyearof50 