Hey! How’s your day?
Some of you might answer with “it’s okay” or “It’s great” or “I’m enjoying it”. But is that how you really feel about it?
Others might say “It’s far from okay” or “It could be better”. Could it really be better?
How you feel about how your day is going has something to do with how you begin your day. A person having a bad day is sometimes described as someone who woke up on the wrong side of the bed. On the other hand, you will hear sales people insist on intoning a good morning greeting any hour of the day or night. This shows how important the beginning of the day is for you to get through the rest of it.
Would you like to be able to handle the day well? Here’s a simple routine to START your day.
Start with a prayer. You’re awake? Good. Let the first thing you do be thanking God that you are able to wake up and face another day. Do this even before you lift your head off the pillow. Thank God for the gift of life and the ability to face it. You may be up to some challenges this day but you know that God will give you a way out of every difficulty He allows into your life. Just ask that He makes the way clear for you.
Take a positive view of the day. Next s to frame your day in an optimistic way. You can make a declaration of what you will be achieving. Tell yourself something like “Today is the day I finish my project” or “It’s going to be a productive day.” By doing this, you set your mind on the course of fulfilling this declaration.
Affirm yourself. Now, it’s your turn. Get up, go to the mirror and tell yourself something positive about you. It could be something you intend to achieve for yourself like “I’m giving a convincing presentation today.” Or it could be a more general statement such as “I am a dedicated worker” or “I am a beautiful person.” You might even greet your image with “Hey, gorgeous, we are going to have a wonderful day today.” Whatever works for you is fine as long as you can convince yourself to believe what you are saying.
As far as a morning affirmation is concerned, I highly recommend that you go through the Novena to God’s Love every morning.
Review your day. Ideally, you would have spent a short time last night to write a to-do list for today. If that’s not your habit then spend a little time now making a list of the things you have to do this day. Give priority numbers and mark those that really have to be done as priority number 1. Also, put in your list what time of the day you intend to do them and for how long. There, you now have a plan for your day.
Trust God. Finally and before you run off to do the things on your list, lift it up to God. Ask God for guidance, strength and wisdom to be able to accomplish what you have listed. And believe that He will be helping you throughout the day.
Now you are ready to go do your thing. Throughout your day, keep in mind the two declarations you made about the day and about yourself. Whisper them to yourself when you feel stressed.
Your day may not go perfectly but if you begin on the right side of the bed, so to speak, you may find those bumps along the way are not so difficult to navigate.
Gladys Barrer is a certified Mental Health First Responder, a volunteer at the Light of Jesus Pastoral Care Center since 1999, and a member of the Vanderpol Center for Leadership and Pastoral Formation as well as the Center for Spiritual Care and Pastoral Formation (USA). She is the Director for Program Development of Alchemy Education Solutions Inc, and has written articles for various publications including Didache and Kerygma magazine. She is also a business consultant specializing in planning, training and IT.