Oh… Fork!

You know the kind of morning when nothing is quite going right, and you top it off by having to stir your coffee with a fork because the dishwasher is running and holding all your silverware hostage…? Not that a fork doesn’t get the job done, but it still makes you question your adulting abilities. (And let’s be honest; this far in, I should probably be a bit better at it.) I recently had one of these days. Things were wonky from the start and didn’t really get any better. From unwelcome and unseen tasks getting added to my already lengthy to-do-list, to multiplying appointments, and just basic general overwhelm. Nothing seemed to be going quite right. My favorite though, was christening my new earbuds by dropping one and sending it flying off the back of the treadmill. As I was sprawled out on the treadmill (yes; it was turned off), hanging upside-down looking for the elusive earbud in the grime that the vacuum cleaner never sees, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. I mean, at least my ridiculousness added some humor to my day of drudgery.

Sometimes crappy days just happen. I know that most of the time I blog about staying positive and spreading kindness and so on, and I still stand by that, but it’s also helpful to share our faults and struggles too because we’re all human. And frankly, it’s okay not to be okay. When we only see the highlight reels of others, we start to question our “enoughness.” (Totally just made up a word.) It’s safe to say that every single one of us is struggling with something. And I’d like you to know that whatever you’re struggling with today, this week, or even year, I understand. I get it… Every once in a while, life can just take you out at the knees. The good news is we don’t have to lie there forever. We can get up and dust ourselves off. (Or break out the lint roller for all the critter glitter.) And if you’re feeling extra vexed, by all means, use some colorful language and well-articulated curse words as you heave yourself up off the floor – just so long as you get up and try again.

Maybe the next time you’re having a “crapola” kind of day (pretty sure my Granny made that word up), picture me stirring my coffee with a dang fork, or me dangling over my treadmill searching through cat hair for an earbud, and hopefully it’ll give you a laugh. At the very least it should make for a good distraction… After all, if you only concentrate on all your negative experiences, you’ll miss the good ones right in front of you. (Sorry; I had to break out Positive Polly…) It’s true though. Don’t forget to look for the good things in life, and don’t let the first inconvenience ruin your whole day. That ultra frustrating day that I mentioned? I still tried to keep a positive mindset, and I still had things to “jingle about” that evening. Doing so didn’t magically make my day allll better (trust me!), but it did keep me from a downward spiral of doom and gloom. Anxiety medication helps too…

Hmmm… turns out positivity and kindness were hidden in this post after all. I wish you a very HAPPY day, but if things aren’t going so great at the moment, I’m sending you a big virtual hug.

PS: It’s possible my adulting skills need work, as I frequently have to stir my coffee with random kitchen utensils. (Maybe that’s why Kendall drinks his black – no need to stir.) Am I alone in this weird dilemma?

PPS: I recently sent the following message to my best friend with a picture of a “Happy Birthday” sign that was hanging in my home: “The next time you’re beating yourself up for not having your shit together, pull up this picture and have a good laugh. I just had to take down birthday decorations from AUGUST before I decorated for Christmas…” – Honestly, I almost left it up to celebrate Jesus’ birthday…

🙂