Having a Bad Day? Let’s Change That…

Have you ever had one of those days, where everything seemed to go completely wrong?

I started writing this post last week, halfway through what seemed to be the worst day ever. I slept through my alarm… so my morning was off to a great start already. I tried my best to be semi-presentable and rushed to catch my bus. As I left my building, the bus was driving passed me and I ran to catch it… I managed to leap into the largest slush puddle, and got my socks, completely soaked. I missed the bus, and had to walk 15 minutes to the next stop. Finally when I got on my bus, I had the loudest person come sit next to me, blabbing away on their phone. I forgot my headphones back at home, which means it was a torturous commute… Eventually after a 1 hour bus ride, I finally get to work. Of course the first thing on my mind is… COFFEE. I grab a fresh cup, sit at my desk, and I’m sure you can already tell where I’m going with this… I dropped the entire cup on my desk and lap. I remember being stunned and walking away, hiding in the bathroom to let out a few tears. Why is everything going so wrong? Why is this happening to me?

The truth is, and some might disagree, but bad energy brings bad results. Yes, some things are completely out of our control, but what we do have control over is the way we choose to feel about the situation.

If I wasn’t so upset about missing my bus, having to walk, and the fact that my feet were wet and cold, I might not have been so annoyed with the person talking on the phone. And if I wasn’t so upset about all of that I might not have been on edge, and could have avoided spilling my coffee. Listen, I know what I’m saying is easier to accept after the fact. It’s hard to be positive when you’re standing in a cold puddle that’s formed in your boots, or drenched in burning hot coffee. I get it. But sometimes, if we just moved passed those problems, and looked around instead of sulking, we would see all the magic that surrounds us.

Just the other day I was upset because my cellphone died while I was commuting home. As I put my phone away I started to look at the people around me waiting at the bus stop. That’s when I noticed this elderly lady struggle to walk through the mounts of snow with her large grocery bags. These men in suits rushed passed her, I thought to myself “someone should help her… I should help her”… before I could take a step, this young man, maybe 16 years old at the most, stopped her and asked her if she needed help, he grabbed her bags and walked her to the bench inside the bus stop. My eyes filled with water. How lucky I was to witness this moment, how lucky I was that for once, I wasn’t too busy staring at my screen. 

All this to say… I made a list of things to remember, for the next time I accidentally jump in puddles without my rain boots. (Because jumping in puddles can actually be very therapeutic.) 

Accept the Situation

Oh, you spilled your coffee? That really sucks. Are you still alive? Thought so. Clean up, brush it off and make a new cup.

It Could be Worse

Your boss was tough on you today, and you get home all worked up… Move on, you might not always like your job, but at least you have a job.

Force Yourself to Smile

Are you mad? Oh no… You’re furious! You say there’s no way anything can turn your mood around? Really? Please Google “Funny Pugs” and tell me that you don’t feel a little bit better.

This Isn’t Permanent

OKAY FINE. Some days are just so impossible that you can’t move past them… At least find comfort in the fact that no matter how hard it gets, This too Shall Pass (my very wise little sister shared that quote with me).

Superhero Mode

You’re having a really shitty day. Guess what? You’re probably not the only one. Get out of your head, and make someone smile, do something nice. I guarantee it will change your perspective.

 

Happiness Defined

“To live in the present moment is the highest calling, the source of all happiness” – Naval Ravikant

I always come back to this quote, it’s beautiful and meaningful and mostly it’s a necessary reminder for me to focus on what’s truly important.

Lately, I’ve been very distracted. I probably often seem to be more interested in my phone than my surroundings. For that, I am sorry… because that’s the farthest thing from the truth.

I’ve always been the type of person to encourage everyone to live in the moment, seize the day, and be grateful. But mostly that they need to stop worrying about things that are out of their control.

I should take my own advice more often…

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been overwhelmed and disappointed about decisions I made in the past. I’ve been scared, and even angry at times, and it’s affected every inch of my life.

The truth is that I’m happy, I’m overjoyed with my life – the problem is, I need to start acting like it.

I’ve basically worked for 30 days straight now, yesterday being my first day off in a long time. I keep telling myself that because I’m so busy with my two jobs and school, I don’t have enough time to paint and write. In my defense I do try and use my free-time wisely, even if it means lounging on the couch playing my Xbox or watching Netflix. That time is important, everyone needs to unwind.

This is my happy place

However, I’ve been making too many excuses. If I truly wanted to balance my schedule properly and give myself time for painting, drawing and writing, I most certainly could. But often, laziness takes control of me and I truly just want to do nothing…

But time is our one resource that isn’t renewable, therefore we all need to use the time we have wisely. I need to kick my behind back into shape and make things happen for myself. Because I know that being creative, giving myself time and space to unleash the ideas I have buried in my head… that makes me happy.

Which is why this week I will be launching my new website which will feature all of my artwork that’s for sale, and a page for custom requests. As some of you may not know, not only do I paint, but I also do a lot of graphic design. So make sure to keep an eye out for the launch as I will definitely be posting it on my blog!

Thanks to everyone who has supported me in this incredible time in my life, and everyone who has shown immense support for my blog. I love you all – I can’t thank you enough.

AKL ♥

Ps. Last week I officially sold my first piece of artwork, here is “Messier 8”:

Messier 8
Amanda Kayla Liberty
2015

Beans Now, Steak Later

“Beans Now, Steak Later”, after hearing this for the first time, I was initially puzzled. What did this mean? Oh great… now I’m hungry, and I really want a steak.

The basic principle behind the saying is that, if you live simply now, later on in life you will be able to enjoy life’s pleasures without worry – in this case, a steak. As much as this sounds like an exaggeration, this actually comes from a true story. In Kevin O’Leary’s book Cold Hard Truth On Men, Women & Money, he writes about a time he met an elderly man from Minneapolis. He explains, that he ate beans for over 5 years, and after he paid off his mortgage, he bought himself a steak.

I found myself partially troubled by this idea. When I was younger I was told to save, and that later on in life I would be able to enjoy my savings, travel, and do whatever I pleased. However, when I became old enough to start making my own opinions about life, I started to fear living for tomorrow, and began to live with the mantra “live each day to the fullest”.

Now, at 26 years old, I wish I would have found a balance between both those ideas. Because yes, life is about balance. Living within your means, but enjoying every day to its fullest. The thing I didn’t understand as a teenager, and still struggle with today, is that, living every day to its fullest, doesn’t mean always having to spend money. I, along with many other people, need to learn to embrace and treasure the simple things in life, every single day – and that, is living each day to its fullest.

Beyond my internal debate on the matter, I still believe there is something real, something honest in “Beans Now, Steak Later”. Personally, what I would like to take from it is that, today, you might struggle, you might be doing certain things you’d rather not be doing, but one day, everything you have accomplished, and all the hard work you put in, all of it was moving you towards your ultimate goal, whatever that may be.

Now, go seize the day!