Here's What Helps Me on My Bad Days

If you're having a bad day, read this!

We all have them and it’s totally normal to feel a bit run down. Sometimes the grind of working back to back to back days of twelve plus hours can take its toll on your mental and physical well-being.

Maybe you haven’t even been pushing yourself that hard, and you’re just feeling meh for little to no reason at all. Perhaps it's just one of those aforementioned “days” everyone talks about where you “just don’t have it”.

I have multiple days like this every month, and sometimes every week, even though I don’t mention it all that much. It’s normal to have these moments of weakness, where we yearn to rest and take a backseat. Maybe kick our feet up and tune out the things we’ve been procrastinating to do for weeks now.

We tell ourselves cute little lies that comfort us even as we know the decision we are making probably isn’t the wisest and won’t benefit us in the future. Deep down in a part of your belly when you finally commit to the choice of relaxation and procrastination, you feel a tingle. A tingle that begins to twitch and burn a little, it doesn’t feel good.

Then all of a sudden your mentally chastising yourself for taking a rest, even though moments ago you were convincing yourself that you earned it. It's a vicious cycle that can be hard to escape, which leads to the point why you clicked on this article.

How do I find the motivation on my bad days?

Let’s do a quick mental exercise…

Have you ever had your heart broken by a boy or girl? Now, this especially applies to you if they broke up with you.

Have you ever had people doubt your dreams? Laugh at what you desire and mock the possibility of you achieving said goals?

Have you ever had to compete for a role of any kind (such as starting on varsity, trying out for the lead in a play), and were you ever denied that opportunity because you weren’t as good as the competition?

Have you ever had friends use you and leave you for other people?

I’m going to go out on a crutch and say most of you reading this can relate to one of, if not all of those bullet points. It’s a sad reality of life, but it is a reality nonetheless, and people are going to doubt you in this life. They will betray you, and some will be downright malicious. And some others will just be better than you… for now… if you let them.

And no, this is not a reflection of all people or even most people. This is a slim minority in our society, but a slim minority amongst a general population (here in the United States) of 350 million people, even just 1 percent of the population being malicious is millions of people.

It’s naive and serves no one’s best interest to pretend that everyone and everything you come across has good and honest intentions.

With that being said, I can relate to all of those things, because they all happened to me. So on my bad days, I remind myself that…

This is exactly what they expect of me… what they said would happen… why they left my life… hoping, waiting, and anticipating my failure… and if I give in to that, they win.

Let those dark moments of the best become your fuel for a brighter and more prosperous future both financially and mentally also. Let it not drag you into the belly of the underworld and become consumed by bitter resentment. That is no way to live this precious life we are given…

The pain that was inflicted on you doesn’t go away easily, I’m aware of that, but that pain causes energy nonetheless. When you use that negative energy and harness it for good, it is relieving the burden you’re placing on your shoulders while simultaneously using it to better your life. It is the ultimate win-win.

There has to be a why behind most human beings' lives. A motivating factor that propels them to new heights and the dreams they want to achieve. What these people and these dark moments have done to you is give you the best motivation you will ever have in life… so use it and don’t be resentful or bitter… just get better and thank them later on.

Some of the most inspiring people in the last decade have tragic origin stories that they triumphed over and now share with the world. They also have tons of wisdom that will be applicable to your life. If you are looking for some good examples, here are a few.

David Goggins

• A real-life movie story except this is all true. David's New York Times Best Selling book “Can’t Hurt Me”, changed my life. David endured overwhelming racism, abuse from his father, struggles with his weight, self-esteem, and education. It seems like he was destined to be dead or in jail and instead he has become the most famous Navy Seal in American history, known for his insane physical challenges he pushes himself toward, such as running 100 miles in the desert!

Robert Downey Jr.

• Another one of the most famous examples that everyone can make a comeback, is RDJ. Everyone thought he was going to die cause of his drug addiction. He was halfway in the grave as they say, and just when everyone thought it was over for him, he got the role for Iron Man, and the rest is history… After being damn near broke before striking gold with Iron Man, he is now one of the richest actors in Hollywood with a net worth of $300 Million. Not too mention besides his great acting skills and incredible comeback story, he serves as a great role model to our society and continues to show he is an exceptional human being.

Darren Waller

• Darren Waller is the All-Pro Tight End for the Raiders that astonishes fans with his elite speed for his huge 6 ft 6 inches frame. But that’s hardly his most impressive accomplishment, which he even admits himself! Waller is now living a second life, free of drug use which almost claimed his life. Addicted to OxyContin at a young age, an all too similar and tragic story of the 21st century, reality hit when Waller overdosed in his car and almost lost his life. He was then sent to rehab for 34 days and began his transformation from near statistic to one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Waller is open with his story and helps out people impacted by drug use, his story is another inspiration for many around the world and country.

Those are just a few of many examples, from all different walks of life to shed some perspective on the point I was making. Which example do you plan on being?

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Also, I have a comeback story of sorts myself, you should check it out @ www.mikecaprioauthor.com ;)