defeating days

What does having a "bad" day mean to you? It probably changes all the time. There are days that make you cry because of something tragic happening, other days make you cry for no apparent reason. Some days make you angry at others, and other days make you angry at yourself. Some make you frustrated with the entire world, and others make you frustrated with your situation alone. Other days make you regret, and others make you wish you did more. 

These days may not feel like they have a lot in common, but there's one feeling I find that holds true for them all. 

Defeat.

Feeling defeated at the end of a day that brought so much you weren't ready for. Feeling defeated after others tore you down and you eventually started tearing yourself down without even realizing it. Feeling defeated because another day has come and gone, and it wasn't one you loved. 

On days when others hurt us, intentionally or not, we tend to start asking ourselves, "what did I do wrong" or "what did I do to cause this". It's easy to fall into a pit of self-doubt. Accountability is so important, but so is being kind to yourself. We do things wrong all the time, but not everything is our fault. Sometimes people hurt you and it has literally nothing to do with you. I think we all need to start asking ourselves, am I unjustly blaming someone in this scenario, myself included? 

On days when a bunch of little things start to add up and eventually form to create one bad day, we need to look at our day with some perspective. If these things are all small and manageable on their own- why do they seem so daunting all pulled together? Should any one thing that happened bring me down like this?

On days when you're angry with yourself, for saying or doing something (or not saying or doing something), think: is there anything I can do tomorrow that can help fix this? If yes, be brave and do it. If not, there's nothing you can do about it so don't obsess about it and pick it apart. It won't do you any good.

On days when things are piling up too quickly, take a step back and prioritize. Think, will this matter one year from now? Will this affect your future in any major way? Don't stress too much. Try a guided breathing or FaceTime a friend before you get to work.

On days when you're feeling frustrated with your life, think to the future. Grab a journal and write out where you want to be this time next year. Make it detailed and have fun in the process because life is truly so exciting. There's always time for us to grow and change. You're not stuck where you are now. 

So, the next time you have a defeating day, I hope you can look to these words for some form of solace and encouragement. 

I'm rooting for ya 

xx, gracie