Once upon a time, the world was a very dark and dreary place. There was an outbreak of plague that continued to ravage all living inhabitants. Those who learned to survive discovered the secrets to defeat the plague of darkness. The only true absolution: light.
Sound like a good book idea? Meh. Maybe. But let’s step back a sec here. The world is a dark and dreary place indeed. Plagued by….US! Ah yes. The horror. But can we turn the villain, into the hero of this story?
It is so incredibly easy to slip into the wrong mindset. Whether it’s about yourself, your job, your overwhelming to do list…etc. It is easy to suddenly be “out of the mood” or “lose the motivation”. Some days auto pilot is the only way things get done. Robot mode. Beep boop.
Where am I going with this? If you’re anything like me, you’re probably blaming yourself. “I could’ve done X-Y-Z better today.” Maybe that’s true, but maybe you did your best. It’s okay if your best isn’t 100% all day every day.
I recently had someone who went out of their way to thank me for helping them. Now, I was doing my regular day in day out job that I would have done for anyone in need. It seemed menial and unimportant to me, but to this person it meant the world. It meant enough for them to come back another day to thank me. In person. It struck me that even when I feel like I fall short, even when I didn’t finish my to-do list, even on my worst days…there’s still someone who thinks you’re doing a great job. I was so distracted by the negative things happening, that I didn’t even notice the positivity I was giving this person.
I hate to say that over the last three years (ahem looking at you 2020), people have slowly become less thankful, less attentive to others feelings, and overall just incredibly rude. It makes me sad. We can do better for each other. It’s also easy to start matching that energy. I honestly have been told before that I am “too happy” sounding at work. And on more than one occasion. That’s the real kicker. More than one person has told me I shouldn’t be happy when I’m working. Wow. People really will complain about anything. No. Really. ANYTHING. But at this point, I see I have two options: 1. I can match that energy and plummet myself down the never ending misery gorge OR 2. I can accept the fact that my light shines bright and not everyone wore the right sunglasses today. Essentially, people will do/say mean things, but how you choose to respond is what sets you apart. You can break that mold. You just have to continue to be you and ignore the thoughts that tell you otherwise. You’re enough.
Why am I writing this? Because I found myself drifting to the edge of the gorge of misery. Misery loves company after all. So here I was, having another rough day, drowning in the sea of responsibility when someone chose to give me a glimmer of hope. A small light in a dim abyss. And that’s when I realized…THAT is not who I am. Today may be daunting, but that’s okay! Let’s do it together. Let’s smile through. Let your light shine. Share it with the world. If they can’t handle your sparkle, then they need to wear some shades because it’s going to get bright.
Remember who you are. Remember you are a powerful beacon of positivity. Even on your darkest days, push through. Positivity is contagious. Just imagine if we all gave one positive compliment or feedback a day how many lives we could change.
You’re amazing. Just keep being you. Someone is noticing…even if you don’t see it yourself.
