Dose of Optimism #16
Remember what day it is?
Have you felt like the days are beginning to be a bit… shall we say… the same? Even as the world opens up and people are venturing a bit farther from home, many of us are still mostly staying in place. That means the weekdays… weekends… time… just run together with seemingly little differentiation. Of course this has prompted all of the “what day is it again” jokes and memes (it’s the 66th day of MarchAprilMay!), but it’s funny because it contains a kernel of truth.
Which begs the question, how are you finding NEWNESS in each day, especially when every day looks the same?
One suggestion would be to try and look in four directions everyday – BACKWARD, INWARD, OUTWARD, AND FORWARD.
Looking BACKWARD. By looking backward you can feel a sense of gratitude for what your previous day revealed. Maybe it was a lesson learned or a new idea, or perhaps it was a delicious meal or an insightful conversation. A backward look lets you learn from what might have been hard and helps you anticipate the new day in front of you.
Looking INWARD. By looking inward, you discover new ways of being. Practices like meditation, prayer and breath work help us find a sense of inner exploration in which each day surfaces something different… inside. Though these thoughts and feelings might fall into some redundant patters (who isn’t excited for the weekend?), nonetheless each day will have an inner realm that is unique.
Looking OUTWARD. By looking outward from yourself you can find new pathways for connection, discovery and inspiration. Maybe you will speak to different family members or friends. Or perhaps you will engage the world by listening to a new podcast or taking a webinar. However you are most comfortable, try to find an opportunity for an outward encounter to help mark each day.
Looking FORWARD. Lastly, anticipating the future gives us hope. In these uncertain times, it can be hard to “plan”, and thinking about tomorrow or the coming week might be all you can handle. Still, manifest the goodness you want to create in the world. If you can begin to imagine what might come tomorrow, you will have a clearer sense of what you should do today.
These ideas may work for you, or maybe they don’t. But whatever you do, try to find a meaningful way to acknowledge that every day is different than before – every moment is different from the one before. Of course all of these days do end up being linked together, that is what becomes the sum of our lives. But that doesn’t mean the days need to run together.
And for the record, its Tuesday, May 5th, 2020 - and it’s a great day to begin remembering great days.
Interested in some more optimism? Check out our new project, Optimistic Encounters, where we speak with positive people creating optimistic solutions to complex challenges.
This week, on Wednesday May 6, at 5:00 PM Eastern/2:00PM Pacific, we will be speaking with Eduardo Placer, story doula social entrepreneur, community builder and founder of Fearless Communicators, a dynamic public speaking coaching business, Eduardo is a charismatic leader, an identical twin, and since an early age has been battling an acute condition called showtune-itis, where he spontaneously breaks out into song.
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