SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME the other day…
As I was taking my grandson to a doctor’s appointment, I was rushed and harried. His mother had called me at the last minute, and my stress levels were high. My face wore a permanent frown. My mind was in a million different places. Then I realized something: While my mind was elsewhere, I was missing some prime moments with my grandson. And I was not really enjoying the day.
And, so, I changed the moment, and in doing so changed my day. We began singing some of his favorite songs on the radio from the 90s—GNR, Nine Inch Nails, Alice in Chains…Oh my! And instead of thinking of all the things I had to do that day, I brought myself into the present moment. We were early for the appointment, and I got to spend some valuable time with my grandson. Be present with him—truly great!
This little incident not only brought warmth and joy into my heart, it brought a realization into my mind: I can either have a stressed, difficult day or I can have an amazing, wonderful day. I chose the amazing day.
The rest of the day I did things to ensure that my day was the best ever. And it was. I had the greatest day, all from simple little things that don’t seem like much but make all the difference in the world.
Do you have to do what I did? Absolutely not! Find your own methods, or pick and choose a few of these. The main thing, though, is to make today your best day ever.
Be present
Instead of having your mind elsewhere, bring yourself back to now, in this moment, focused on where you are, what you’re doing, and who you’re with. We cannot change things that have already happened, and obsessing over them does nothing to help us now. We cannot predict the future, so worrying about it does nothing to help us either. Instead, focus on now. If something is worrying you, take action, but even better, just be in the moment and live as if now is all there is. Because now is all there is.
Do less
Have a full schedule today? Cut it in half! You don’t need to do everything on that list. I took a few items on my list and moved them to next week. Do less and you’ll be less stressed out.
Get one important thing done
As I said, do less. But do more important things. By important I mean something that has a huge impact on your life over the long run. Not things that need to done today or else. Here’s why: If you get something important done, you will feel great. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. That makes any day a great day!
Plan your perfect life
What would your life be like if you had no restrictions? A good step: Pick the four to five most important things in your life and build your perfect life around those things, eliminating most of the rest if possible. Plan the perfect life, and then plan the first steps you need to take to get there. Now schedule those first steps over the next week, including one today. It feels amazing to start taking action on making your life the way you want it to be.
Take a walk
That movement and the fresh outdoor air will have a great effect on your day. Clear your head. Calm yourself during a busy time of the day. Think to yourself: How lucky I am to be alive! How wonderful a world I’m in! What opportunities and possibilities lie before me!
Listen to great music
No GNR. Or Pearl Jam. There are a handful of songs that are on my daily playlist. Although I’ll swap out songs from time to time, any song that makes it to this list has been put there because it resonates with me in a positive way. Any of them have an almost immediate impact on my mood and energy levels.
Watch a sunrise or sunset
Trite? Yes, definitely. But does it work? Yes, definitely. I’m partial to a sunrise.
Spend some time with a loved one
When I spent the few minutes with my grandson that morning, it filled me with a joy unequaled anywhere else in my life. If you don’t have a spouse or kids or a grandson, there’s someone in your life that you value. Take time out of your day to spend time with them, not to just watch TV, but to actually be with them, talk with them, bond with them. It works. It is so easy to get caught up in our daily lives that we forget how important verbal and physical affection are—like saying the words, “I love you” and giving a kiss or a hug. Not only will it help put us in better spirits, but it will help put those we love in better spirits too.
Do something for someone else with no expectation of receiving anything in return
I was introduced to the random acts of kindness movement by a TV character several years ago. I love the concepts of random acts of kindness and paying it forward and personally perform RAOK whenever I can. Often at Bob Evans.
Make it a great day!
Daniel J. Jachimiak, BA, is a Feature Writer/Journalist and Speaker. Dan can be reached at djachimiak@ bex.net or 419-787-2036. ~ You can have a better life ~
