Pat on the Back

I didn’t know what to write about today.  I looked back on yesterday and felt blue and a bit down about my lack of accomplishments.  I basically worked and that seemed to be all.  I felt like I hadn’t done anything to enjoy my day or to break out of the mold. But then I realized that days like this will happen.  The most important thing, is to find something buried in all those mundane activities that you can feel proud of.

So what can I pat myself on the back for yesterday?

This took a lot of thought.  On the surface, I wrote, then after a break, I tutored from 3-9.  And that was my day.

But I did do more than that.  Sure, I wasn’t saving the world or donating money to the needy, but no one can aim to make every day that accomplished.  It would be a failure waiting to happen.  So with some thought, here are the things that I did yesterday that I am proud of:

• Researched hotels for the first week of my France trip when I am in Paris with my mother.  This actually isn’t an easy task.  We are aiming to use some timeshare points, if at all possible, so the hotel selection is a bit limited.  Then I have to try and juggle amenities with location and try to come up with a formula that will help produce the trip of a lifetime. Not easy but doing the work now will hopefully help lead to a stress-free and enjoyable trip.

• I ate lunch outside. Sure this seems basic.  It is basic.  But I was glad that I stepped away from the computer, didn’t turn on the TV and went and enjoyed the sunshine and warmth.  I read a magazine and ate an absolutely wonderful peach.  It was an ideal midday break.

• I made the decision to take a break in the middle of my morning writing and watch (on a terrible Internet quality feed) the 2nd Stage of Paris-Nice.  I submitted a brief summary article of the stage to Team RadioShack.  I am always excited to write professional cycling articles.  It is something that I truly love and it doesn’t feel like work in the least bit.  It is a way for me to get back to my love of writing that isn’t based on income.

• I went for a 15 minute walk before tutoring. It was one of those perfect walks where you feel the sun beating on your skin and warming you in a way that only happens after a long winter.  I wanted to bask in the sun.  It reminded me of being a kid and having a teacher take the class outside for a little while during one of those first warm days of Spring.  It felt so basic, innocent and simple.  I’m happy I took the time to allow myself to enjoy the warmth.

Sure, all these things may appear basic, but in hindsight, they helped make yesterday a pretty good day.  So, even on mediocre days or downright awful days, step back and think of the things that you can pat yourself on the back for.  They could be as simple as doing a chore that you didn’t want to, like loading the dishwasher or picking up the dry-cleaning.  It is something that makes you take a deep breath and relax a little bit after it is completed because it some how added value to your day.

To Smile.