With many challenges sure to come your way every day, you must understand that what you need to be happy is already in your possession. Daily preparation and the right frame of mind will help you realize this so that you can conquer each and every day, regardless of the challenges come up.
Start With a Head Start
It is far too easy to let the stresses of the day get the best of you. Every day is unique and you can be sure that each one is going to challenge you in a unique way. This morning it may be your kid getting sick, right before you’re supposed to be leading a meeting at work. This afternoon it may be trying to meet a tight deadline at work, right as your other kid is getting sick. And tomorrow, god only knows…
When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil.
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Before starting up your day and letting any of this crap get to you, take a moment to think about the fact that all of this part of life. It’s all part of the journey. It’s all supposed to be happening. Most importantly, ACCEPT IT. Without accepting the fact that challenges are going to come your way, you will get frustrated, anxious and very likely struggle.
Some Ideas for How to Get a Head Start on Your Day
Some sort of morning routine is essential if you want to get yourself in the right frame of mind to start the day. No two of us are alike and there is no one size fits all approach so here are a couple ideas on how you may want to start the day (also check out a previous post about Doing Things Your Way Day Over Day):
- Set your alarm and wake up early to give yourself a few moments of peace
- It’s rare that I’m able to find any peaceful “me” time if I’m waking up after 5:30am
- Lay in bed quietly for a few minutes (not scrolling on your phone) before you get up and think about the day to come
- Don’t pick up the damn phone
- Get some exercise in
- Some days it’s easy, some days it’s not, but don’t let that impact whether or not you do it
- Sit down with some water and coffee
- You’re gonna need ’em
- Journal on how you’re feeling
- I don’t formally do it all the time, but my mind sure is going at all times of day – learning, reflecting, thinking, planning
- Try your hand at some meditation
- It’s not for everyone, but come on, this dude looks pretty happy:
The Present is a Present (though I’m not sure my wife would agree)
There’s no way to stop the challenges from coming but with acceptance and the right frame of mind, you may be able to see the positive aspects of the things in your life and use them to focus on the present and find happiness.
All too often, we look to a future state as the only way we’ll be able to achieve peace and happiness. We tell ourselves things like [choose your own adventure]:
- I’ll be happy when my child can finally:
- crawl
- walk
- talk
- brush their teeth
- feed themselves
- dress themselves
- go to the bathroom themselves (ok, this one you probably won’t look back on and miss that much)
- go to school
- I’ll feel better when this project is done
- Life will be so much better when I have a new job or I’m making more money
- I just need a vacation and everything will be ok
You Are There NOW
What you need to be happy, however, is what you have right here, right now. You don’t need all those things you think you need. You don’t need to get past this challenging situation you’re working through to be happy. In fact, when you’re down the road a few years, I can guarantee that you will look back on your life and wish that you could be transported back to RIGHT NOW, because it was “such a good time” in your life.
Train yourself to realize that you are “there” now.
You already have everything you need, so work on enjoying all that you have in the present moment:
- Sleepless nights
- Messy houses
- Arguments over silly things
- Cleaning up dirty diapers
- Bills to Pay
- Deadlines to meet
As tough and stressful as all of these are, they are things you can, and should, find happiness in. They are part of this amazing journey we’re all on. They are things that you will look back on and cherish.
Another Source of the Lesson
I’m a music lover and always try and take something from the music I listen to. One fantastic song that I’ve found helps to reinforce this lesson is “These Days” by Rudimental…
“I hope some day we’ll sit down together,
And laugh with each other about these days, these days.
All our troubles, we’ll lay to rest then,
And we’ll wish we could come back to these days, these days.”
– Rudimental
I love this song so much that I’ll give you two flavors to check out. Here’s a live version that has more of a soulful, “take you to church” kind of vibe:
And here’s more of a hip-hop version. I’ve always been a hip-hop head and with DJ Premier being one of my favorite all time producers, I had to throw this one our there as well:
Live for today and focus on the present knowing full well that you will look back wanting to come back to…these days, these days
Peace.
