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Abstract

id="e843">No hahaha, but I thought about all of the things that I turned down because I had to work.</p><p id="59f1">I considered going to Boston this weekend. Hell, I was supposed to be in Ireland this weekend. (Bad story for another time) I was a car start or two off from being in a much more awkward situation than breaking down in my apartment’s garage.</p><p id="3068">Honestly, I’d rather it happen now and get it fixed and over with. I was able to get everything covered at work. I just spent the day tending to my car. I didn’t go to work. I was a little peeved about all of the stuff that I was going to be missing out on.</p><p id="9ee1">Then, I noticed the universe may have sent me a $450 lob 😅</p><p id="6c44">I was forced to not work, and get my car fixed. I was forced to relax.</p><p id="208c">Well, I worked a little bit. That’s not the point though. I took a little walk. I went to a cafe I liked and worked for a few hours. I cooked a little bit. I couldn’t do anything but wait for my car to be fixed. I had a much less stressful day.</p><p id="2869">Not because the day wasn’t stressful. I was having a tough go at it early on.</p><p id="b377">More so because of all of the things that were stressing me out before, I let go of them.</p><p id="645e">I decided to spin the narrative. Today sucked, there’s no doubt about it.</p><p id="9cbe">I was able to get some good out of it. My car is fixed and in the grand scheme, I was just minorly inconvenienced. I wasn’t able to do any of the things that I “needed” to do so badly. My day didn’t really change.</p><p id="a774">I was forced to take a light day. A probably massively needed a light day.</p><p id="5671">It served as a great lesson on perspective.</p><p id="c7dd">I could have decided that everything happening to me all day was just negative after negative.</p><p id="c7f5">That’s not helpful. The stress wasn’t worth it. There is good stress that motivates and drives us. Then there’s bad stress like worrying about situations that we can’t control.</p><p id="c92c">I’ve been dealt a bad hand. Time to fold and get ready for the next round. I may have had the big blind this hand but I’ll survive.</p><p id="7c7f">Poker references aside. I had a crap day. I spent some money. Tomorrow is another day.</p><p id="ddf3">What happened was out of my control and I’ll just have to deal with what I can control tomorrow.</p><figure id="974f"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*GiJ9nC-253fsEtQT"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@we_are_rising?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Lucas Favre</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medi

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um&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h2 id="7cc6">Choosing A Different Lens</h2><p id="799f">Now, I know that I have the privilege of being unusually level-headed in a really unfortunate situation. The point of this isn’t to tell you to suck it up and be happy. Mental health is a very serious thing and we all differ in our methods of handling stressful situations.</p><p id="cec1">The point of this is to remind you that you won’t always have something or someone coming to save you. I was having a bad day so I manufactured some happiness. I didn’t want to wait for something good to happen to me. I needed some positivity immediately 😂</p><p id="85d2">I went to a cafe, ordered a Dirty Chai Latte, and watched a Dad Joke YouTube video. To manufacture some laughs. If you need a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@yeahmadtv">silly pick me up</a> here’s the channel 😉.</p><p id="7b43">I could have easily sat around at home sulking over everything that went wrong and panicking about all of the people that I was potentially going to let down today.</p><p id="faf6">Not that sulking is bad. Sometimes you need that (I love to complain). That’s OK too.</p><p id="7b06">Just don’t stay there for too long. It’s easy to get trapped in a cycle of sorrows.</p><p id="727d">Today, I needed a perspective shift and a big bounce back. Tomorrow will be better! I just know it.</p><p id="d798">I hope that you enjoyed this article! If you did please hold down the applause button as long as you can 👏🏽 (Really! Hold it! 😉)! Leave a comment to let me know your thoughts! Share with a friend or colleague! If you’d like to hear more from me <a href="/@akippins/subscribe"><i>please follow!</i></a> Finally, <a href="http://buymeacoffee.com/AKippins"><i>please buy me a beer</i></a><i> </i>to keep me motivated! It all means the world to me! Cheers!</p><p id="d139">Check out another one of my articles if you have the time!</p><div id="9e34" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/struggling-with-inconsistency-get-excited-to-focus-and-reset-for-the-positive-d0f2f83f85d7"> <div> <div> <h2>Struggling With Inconsistency? Get Excited To Focus And Reset For The Positive!</h2> <div><h3>No one is consistent 100% of the time, how do we get back on track if we fall off?</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*hufGh9FyX3yeRyju)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

Spin the Narrative for the Better, No Matter How Negative

I had a terrible day, then I thought about it through a different lens.

Today Sucked…

The title above says it all. I had a horrendous day. I did, however, manage to pull a lesson or two out of it though.

Hopefully, it’s useful advice. Or you can poke fun at my misery, whatever makes you happy 😂.

I’ve got a short one for ya! Storytime!

My Annoying Day

I got in my car today to go to work this morning and the car didn’t start. I’ve been super stressed out with work. I’ve been working days and nights. My deadlines at work are creeping up on me.

The last thing that I needed today was this…

I sat in my car worrying about all of the things that I was supposed to do today. Then I started sending messages and emails. One person to cover for this. Another to cover for that. When I finished I meditated for 30 seconds.

This isn’t a “You should be more zen story I promise. 😭”

I texted my friend Amanda to vent and our exchange was pretty funny. Here’s a little tidbit.

Me: Manders I’m having a bad morning 😂 My car won’t start

Amanda: Did you try kicking it and screaming profanities? That usually does the trick.

Me: Nope, just tried rationalizing it. I did let out a deep sigh…

Amanda: That’ll never do anything

Me: I’m at cursing. I think I need to get it towed 😂

The meditating didn’t work lol. I let out a loud and elongated F-bomb.

I called roadside assistance to get my car towed. As I was sitting waiting for the tow I chuckled.

Did I finally snap?

No hahaha, but I thought about all of the things that I turned down because I had to work.

I considered going to Boston this weekend. Hell, I was supposed to be in Ireland this weekend. (Bad story for another time) I was a car start or two off from being in a much more awkward situation than breaking down in my apartment’s garage.

Honestly, I’d rather it happen now and get it fixed and over with. I was able to get everything covered at work. I just spent the day tending to my car. I didn’t go to work. I was a little peeved about all of the stuff that I was going to be missing out on.

Then, I noticed the universe may have sent me a $450 lob 😅

I was forced to not work, and get my car fixed. I was forced to relax.

Well, I worked a little bit. That’s not the point though. I took a little walk. I went to a cafe I liked and worked for a few hours. I cooked a little bit. I couldn’t do anything but wait for my car to be fixed. I had a much less stressful day.

Not because the day wasn’t stressful. I was having a tough go at it early on.

More so because of all of the things that were stressing me out before, I let go of them.

I decided to spin the narrative. Today sucked, there’s no doubt about it.

I was able to get some good out of it. My car is fixed and in the grand scheme, I was just minorly inconvenienced. I wasn’t able to do any of the things that I “needed” to do so badly. My day didn’t really change.

I was forced to take a light day. A probably massively needed a light day.

It served as a great lesson on perspective.

I could have decided that everything happening to me all day was just negative after negative.

That’s not helpful. The stress wasn’t worth it. There is good stress that motivates and drives us. Then there’s bad stress like worrying about situations that we can’t control.

I’ve been dealt a bad hand. Time to fold and get ready for the next round. I may have had the big blind this hand but I’ll survive.

Poker references aside. I had a crap day. I spent some money. Tomorrow is another day.

What happened was out of my control and I’ll just have to deal with what I can control tomorrow.

Choosing A Different Lens

Now, I know that I have the privilege of being unusually level-headed in a really unfortunate situation. The point of this isn’t to tell you to suck it up and be happy. Mental health is a very serious thing and we all differ in our methods of handling stressful situations.

The point of this is to remind you that you won’t always have something or someone coming to save you. I was having a bad day so I manufactured some happiness. I didn’t want to wait for something good to happen to me. I needed some positivity immediately 😂

I went to a cafe, ordered a Dirty Chai Latte, and watched a Dad Joke YouTube video. To manufacture some laughs. If you need a silly pick me up here’s the channel 😉.

I could have easily sat around at home sulking over everything that went wrong and panicking about all of the people that I was potentially going to let down today.

Not that sulking is bad. Sometimes you need that (I love to complain). That’s OK too.

Just don’t stay there for too long. It’s easy to get trapped in a cycle of sorrows.

Today, I needed a perspective shift and a big bounce back. Tomorrow will be better! I just know it.

I hope that you enjoyed this article! If you did please hold down the applause button as long as you can 👏🏽 (Really! Hold it! 😉)! Leave a comment to let me know your thoughts! Share with a friend or colleague! If you’d like to hear more from me please follow! Finally, please buy me a beer to keep me motivated! It all means the world to me! Cheers!

Check out another one of my articles if you have the time!

Struggling With Inconsistency? Get Excited To Focus And Reset For The Positive!

No one is consistent 100% of the time, how do we get back on track if we fall off?

medium.com