Everyone has a bad day, now and then! So, what can you do to make it better?

Sometimes, those bad days just stay in your memory. Don’t you agree? I remember a day, when I backed my car out of my garage and because I was thinking of the three (very important) meetings that I had that day, instead of looking behind me, I ran my car into the back of my husband’s truck. He had a steel flatbed on the back, so it didn’t hurt HIS truck at all!! I got out and looked at my car and when I pulled back into the garage, I was VERY tempted to just close the garage door, call my school that I worked as a teacher at and tell them that I was sorry, but I was not going to make it in today.

It was a Monday. Go figure!!

I did end up going to school that day and, somehow, I mustered through the whole day. The fact that that was something that occurred 13 years ago and I still remember it, pretty vividly, tells you that bad days tend to stay in our memories. Also, the fact that I remembered the day of the week it happened on, tells you even more, as well! We have the hardest time letting those bad days go. They hang on, like a rotten odor that you can’t get rid of.

Why do you think that is? Why do we remember those days so vividly?

Surely, we know that we can’t change them. We can’t go back and do it over and hope for a different result. I think that the reason is because, maybe, it was a turning point in our life, so we just sucked it up and did what we had to do because that is the type of person that we had to be. Maybe, it was because………. (fill in the blank here). For whatever reason that you remembered it, know that you are not alone. We all have those days. I think it’s how you deal with them is what shows the type of person that you are.

If you take your bad day out on others then you might want to figure that you need some help. But, if it makes you stronger, more resilient, then you aren’t defined by your bad day. It was just that, a bad day, one that you don’t want to repeat, but, again, just a bad day.

I think that when we understand that it happens to all of us, then we can give others a bit of a break when they have their bad day as well. We may want to, instead, reach out and just let them know that it’s okay and they are stronger than they think. It’s nice to know that somebody understands and can empathize with us. That’s what we need more of, empathy. So, the next time that you want to jump down someone’s throat, don’t. Take a deep breath and try to understand their feelings instead. It’s not personal to you or even about you. You are just the person there. So, remember that sometimes, we just need someone to listen and not judge our feelings. Sometimes, we just need a friend.

What did I learn from this? It is so much easier to jump than to pause when we are responding to another person. I have found that it helps me to try to say a quick prayer for them and for myself as well. I pray that I can listen but then really hear what they may not be saying. I have to remember that it’s not about me. It’s about them and I may be able to help even if it’s just to listen.

So, what can you gain from this? Life is stressful enough! Don’t take on someone else’s problems, it’s not about you. You can, however, learn to be a friend. You never know when someone will help you as well, later on. You get back what you give out in life, so think carefully before you respond. Also, think, how would you feel in their shoes? Sometimes, just thinking about that is what can give us a different perspective.