Thank you for reading my blog. Well, at least this first part anyway. I hope you stay with me all the way through. The more I live and the more I learn, the more I realise I do not know. One thing I have learned, and I do know, is that having a great day has very little to do with the circumstances of that day, and far more to do with my attitude. That being the case, I want to help you make everyday a great day.
This idea started for me after I messaged a friend, and at the end of that message, I said, ‘I hope you are having a great day.’ The response came back, ‘define great!’ It was a response that got me thinking about a great day, and how I would define it. Interestingly, it is not how I would have defined in the past. In my younger years, a great day was one when everything went right, there were no hassles or challenges, and I got on with everyone. Clearly, I didn’t have a lot of great days based on that definition. In fact, many were crappy! Now, with my new definition, every single day is a great day.
How can that be? Surely it can’t be every day where there are no challenges or problems, when I get on with everyone, and where everything goes exactly as I would like. That would be… never! Lucky that is no longer my criteria for a great day. These days, a great day for me is one where I wake up, then get up, and then face the day with a belief that whatever happens and whoever I interact with, I will help someone, learn something, grow personally, or be blessed in some way. That is a great day every day, because I expect it to be and will find a way to make it great, no matter what. That doesn’t mean it is always easy or fun, it just means it is great.
The other day I woke up to my alarm at 4:52, to get up and start my day. I didn’t feel like getting up, in fact, I was very tempted to hit snooze, but I didn’t. I threw the covers back, I swung my sleepy body around, put my feet on the floor and stood up. I overcame the temptation to take the easy option. What a great start to the day. For the next two and a half hours, I affirmed, I prayed, and then went out to do my exercise for the day. As I was exercising, and yes it was uncomfortable, I was proud of myself, and, I got to watch the sun rise over the water and enjoy the start of a beautiful new day. Try to convince me that is not great!
My day continued, as it does, and was constantly great. I sent out my 20 daily LinkedIn connections, of which 80% go unanswered, but the 20% often lead to something great. I made many calls and sent multiple emails to companies to try and get speaking gigs, as I do every day. Most went unanswered, and some led to rejections. With each call and each email, I felt stronger and in even more control of my destiny, despite the lack of obvious results. Don’t tell me that is not great. Generally, each day, out of all the messages, calls, and emails I make, I will have at least one meaningful conversation that leads somewhere great!
On this particular day, I was uneasy about something. I had been struggling to get answers for a project I had been working to get on, for many months. It got to the point, after another unsatisfactory attempt to get answers, that all of a sudden I felt strong in myself. I decided my time and what I offer was far more valuable than the way I was being treated, so I sent a message that I was bowing out. It felt amazing. It was me respecting me. I was making a stand that I am worthy. It felt great. The rest of that day was filled with great meetings, challenging conversations, walks on the beach, and a closer relationship with God. I felt I had learned more, become stronger within myself, helped many people, initiated some new relationships, and felt a deep gratitude for my life. Trust me, it was a great day.
Well, every day is pretty much the same. They are all great days, because I decide they will be, and I approach them in a way that creates that reality. I want to encourage you to do the same. No matter what is happening, it can be great, depending on how you look at it, what you take from it, and what you do with it. To help in this area, my two podcasts this week are amazing. I speak with Gina Economopoulos in a podcast called Your next thought, and with Patrick Casey in a podcast called Feel it to heal it.
As you get to the end of this blog, again, I am grateful that you stuck with me. My question is, how will you ensure that today is a great day? It is up to you, not anyone else. It has everything to do with your perspective and very little to do with the circumstances you are facing. It is there waiting for you to choose great. So, find the lesson, receive the blessing, make someone smile, and have a great day.