© 2022 Rachel L. Shumate | All rights reserved.
Ever had one of THOSE days that are so grueling they render you mentally and physically exhausted, and you feel utterly defeated? Like you want to melt onto the floor and slip through the cracks… I had one of those recently, and I’m willing to bet that I’m not alone in this. It’s just lovely, isn’t it? Yeah, not so much. Frankly, it sucks. The thing about it was that my day wasn’t actually all that different from any other. Yet on this particular day, my energy was low and my goals seemed so far out of reach that I was wondering why I even bothered trying so hard. (Special thanks to the melodramatic, annoying voice in the back of my head… She’s really a you-know-what.)
Then I remembered all the reasons for my “WHY.” (As in, why I do what I do – even if no one understands what exactly that is.) And guess what. You’re one of my “whys.” The internet can be a beautiful thing, it allows me to reach across time and space to someone out there who just might need to hear what I have to say. You, or maybe your neighbor’s second cousin twice removed, might also be having one of THOSE days and could really use some words of encouragement – to know it doesn’t have to be a lonely feeling. And so, I wrote us all a note (yep, for me too). Save it to your phone, print it out and stick it on your mirror, tuck it in your wallet, use it as a bookmark, or heck, wad it into a ball and hurl it at someone who’s annoying you… With the exception of the latter, whenever you’re feeling particularly crappy, you can read this note to yourself and maybe it just might help you smile. Click here to download your note.
Did you download it? Awesome. Now, I have the perfect place for you to stick it – and no, not there! (To interject, my husband likes to point out my occasional and unfortunate way with words, but as I’m writing and had time to edit, I decided to leave it that way just to make you laugh. Did it work?) Anyway… I would like to suggest that you use this note as a bookmark in a journal. I also highly recommend using said journal to write down your goals, as well as your own “whys” so that on days like I mentioned earlier, you can use this as a tool of motivation, a reminder, and to elevate your mindset. In fact, I recommend doing this exercise on the daily. Writing down your goals is a powerful habit. Use an existing journal, a new one, or I suppose you could write it on scraps of paper, but it doesn’t really have quite the same aesthetic appeal… But trust me, it can certainly help shine some light on dark days.
Also, for those interested, I’ve been hard at work creating and designing a journal that I hope becomes a profound habit for all of us. I’ve taken my style of journaling and I’m working on putting it to print. (Yep, goals and “whys” are in there too, ha.) I’m excited because it will save me time, and it means others can enjoy this same journaling method I’ve developed over the years. Journaling in this way has truly been life-changing for me, and I’d like to share it with the rest of the world. If it helps just one person, then this headache has all been worth it, ha.
That being said, I’d also like to ask for your input. If you are so inclined, please take just a moment to fill out this simple questionnaire. I’d greatly appreciate it and would love to hear what you have to say. I did my best to make it comedic so it doesn’t feel like a school quiz. Thank you bunches in advance!! 🙂
PS: When printing out your encouraging note, selecting the option “actual size” will print it out as a 4×6 image that you can then cut out (unless you have the option to print on actual 4×6 paper). Or selecting “fit to printable area” will print your note out to fill the 8.5×11 sheet of paper. Certainly not trying to insult anyone’s intelligence, just trying to spare folks from yelling obscenities at their printers. I threaten mine with a baseball bat (“Office Space” style) on the regular.
