Is it really a bad day?
Things happen and we may look at things and say that our day is going down the tubes, just because it is not going our way. But is it?
I had to go to a conference, and I asked a friend if I could get a ride with him. (I know that when I go someplace, I have my own way of traveling and my own timetable. I usually like arriving early.)
He told me what time he wanted to leave, which meant that we were going to arrive late. Well, I was able to understand. The nurse which cares for his son with disabilities arrived late. He mentioned he had a problem with his vehicle, and I was able to take care of it right away because I had the same challenge with my vehicle. Then we stopped for fuel.
We got busy talking about a project that he was putting together, and I had to remind him which exit to take. We were still talking, another exit was coming, and he almost missed it. A woman would not let him get near the exit, so we took another exit. As we were looking for our way, I noticed that I might be in the area where I used to spend some time. The directions made us make a turn and we went past the exact place and brought back memories. We continued to our destiny and found out that the route was probably faster into the back entrance of where we had to go.
When we arrived, I had a chance to see some friends that I had not seen for years. I sat in the back at the last table. I was not so concerned about talking with people, so I sat at a table. I had no idea what impact that decision would have on me. At the next table, about three or four feet from me was a law enforcement K-9 handler. His partner, a 20-month yellow lab, came to me and put his head near me. I had the opportunity to pet him on the head, and he leaned into me so that I could really pet him all over. I do not know what the dog sensed, but he stayed near me for a good part of the day. Even a few times in the morning, the dog decided to put his paws on my shoulder and lick my face. (Note: the speaker was able to see what was going on with the dog and she stumbled over part of her presentation.) The dog was part of the crisis team and later went and visited some other people but kept coming back to me. During the afternoon, West laid down by my feet.
I used to have a dog, but it was over twenty years since I had real quality time with a dog. West reminded me how much I needed the interaction with animals and the warmth that a dog brings.
When we left the event, the mapping system took us a different way than we expected but I saw that I already had the day off and I would not let it or the traffic bother me, after all I was not driving.
Many things did not go the way that we expected.
We need to realize that just because our day did not go the way that we wanted it to go, does not necessarily mean that it was a bad day. On this day, we found a way that was faster to get where we were going and, on the way back, my friend and I had a good conversation and of course I could not forget what West brought to me. He showed me how precious time with an animal can be and how much they are dialed into the emotions of people around them. He also reminded me that I may need to get another dog, as companion and therapist.
There are many times that some people discount the true benefit of having time with animals can really benefit not only people but also animals. You can easily research all the benefits of the interaction between humans and animals. They also have animal assisted therapy. You may not need to have a therapy or service animal but may just want to spend time with a furry friend who loves.
I know that by lunch time, I was covered in dog hair and felt so much better than I have for a long time.
Is it really a bad day? How are you looking at it? What are you expecting? There are some people that have spent their entire life sucking on a lemon and they experience nothing but sour days. Give yourself permission to expect a good day and look at the situation through new glasses and look for the positive.
I remember John Maxwell telling the story that a boy living on a farm. The mother would come into the boy's room to wake him up. One day the mother came in and said, "Good morning, it's going to be a beautiful day". The boy said that it was going to be a horrible day. The mother let the boy go back to sleep. The boy got up and went to the kitchen and expected breakfast. The mother indicated that breakfast was served at the time when the boy refused to get up. The mother indicated that since the boy indicated that it was going to be a horrible day, it was her job to make sure that the boy got exactly what he expected, a horrible day. And she sent him back to bed, no television, no radio, nothing, just sleep. Since the boy would normally be at school, the boy did not get any lunch. The boy was just supposed to sleep and not allowed to do anything. The next day, before the mother came in to wake him up, the boy was up, washed, dressed and waiting for his mother. The mother said, "Good morning, it's going to be a good day." The boy said, "Good morning, it's going to be a great day,” and the boy made sure that it was a great day and appreciated everything that he had.
You usually get what you expect, when you have control of how you view events in your life.
Have a great day.
Stay safe,
Didymus McHugh
didymus-mchugh.com
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