Today was a great day.
Something I have realized over the years is that good days are usually not the result of some big, exciting news or a sudden windfall of cash or prizes. Although, those can be fun to dream about.
Most good days are the result of appreciating what we have presently in our day to day lives.
If we wait for everything to fall into place, such as losing those last 10 pounds or finding that ‘perfect guy’, we may never feel content because we are constantly longing for more. We are never enough as we are right now. Even as you read this, you might be thinking, This doesn’t apply to me. I won’t be happy until I have ‘x’.
And you are probably right.
A couple years ago, I decided that I was going to appreciate myself, my life, and my circumstances for what they were. Of course, appreciate doesn’t mean that you can’t strive for growth and change, it just means that you understand where you currently are in life.
Even when we are between a rock and a hard place, these difficult circumstances are often for a reason even if we cannot see it at the time. I have been through some pretty rough times in my life, but when I look back on them I see what each situation has taught me and how they allowed me to grow.
When I was struggling with a career and grad school that made me miserable, I didn’t know it at the time, but they would serve as a major turning point in my life. The unhappiness I experienced eventually woke me up and suddenly, I was determined to never settle for mediocrity again.
After my parents divorced when I was 17, my mom and I started a new chapter and we moved across the country from New Brunswick to Ontario. I would have been entering my last year of high school with all of my friends (and long-time boyfriend) in New Brunswick, but instead I took a leap of faith and I chose to move and to challenge myself. My mom got a job transfer to Ontario and we moved shortly thereafter with our life stuffed into a few suitcases.
Things were rough, especially for the first few months before we found an apartment to live in. I was living with nearby family for the first while and I was trying to begin at a new school and also juggle my studies and social life while living out of a suitcase.
My mom and I shared many tears together that year.
But as they say, hindsight is always 20/20.
While that time was filled with many challenges, it was also quite remarkable to see the progression over time. By stepping out of my comfort zone, I grew as a person and I matured a lot. Slowly but surely things started to fall into place. I started my last year of high school in a new school where I didn’t know a soul, but as luck would have it, I ended up meeting my future husband during my first day of class.
Sometimes a leap of faith has a hidden four leaf clover.
So yes, today was a good day, for no particular reason except for the fact that I decided it was.
The skies were bright blue with fluffy white clouds and the leaves were blazing orange and red, after several days of cold and rain. I hit the pavement, not even overly wanting to workout, but once I got out there I thanked my lucky stars that I had. I ran a fast 4 miles listening to nothing but the crunching of the leaves under my feet and the crickets chirping in the woods.
That is not my picture, but perhaps in a couple more weeks?! ;)
I must mention that it took putting my music player in the washing machine (and breaking it) it for me to run without music, but I digress. As I said, sometimes clouds have a silver lining. ;)
When I wrapped up my work for the day, I decided to bottle the fluffy white clouds and create my own silver lining in my kitchen…
But more on that tomorrow.
Do you ever look back on a tough time in your life and see the hidden four leaf clovers or life lessons that it brought to your life?
What a great post, thanks for sharing!
Sometimes it’s so hard to see the silver lining during a rough time. But now having experienced the good that comes out of the tough times, it makes it that much easier to know that the rough patch will go away and potentially leave you in an even better place than where you started.
Almost 8 months ago I went through a really hard breakup (and some days it’s still hard) but in the past few months I did my first ever triathlon, I’m taking a photography class and I just started boxing! I have also been able to spend so much more time with my family and friends and can’t not explain how much I’ve learned to appreciate all of them. And as hard as it is, having a positive attitude through rough times can make all the difference.
Without having gone through the hard breakup part, I don’t think I’d be as strong as I am today and I definitely don’t think I would have pushed myself to try all these new things. It’s crazy how it all works out :)
Leaps of faith are what life is all about. Several years ago I had to decide between 2 jobs–one I had been temping at for the last 6 mons and a new job. Both had positives & negatives, but in the end I opted to go with the new, because it was new. Through the job, I met the man I’m going to marry in a few weeks. A man that did his own leap of faith when he moved from Australia to America less than a year before I met him.
beautiful post. having an attitude of gratitude truly changes each day for the better. you are an inspiration, Angela. thank you for simple, and yet striking, post and the consistent wonderful photography of your MOUTHWATERING food :) ahh what a beautiful day it is :)
There’s always a silver lining — or a hidden 4 -leaf clover. Sometimes we just have to open our eyes (and our hearts) to be able to find them =)
I can’t wait to hear about your fluffy clouds ^.^
I love your attitude, you’re a real inspiration. You’re totally right, you’re the only one who can control your happiness, you’re the only one in charge of your emotions.
It’s up to yourself to make the most of life as it is.
Love it!
Oooh, can’t wait for your edible fluffy cloud recipe tomorrow. This is a great reminder. I was recently diagnosed with a chronic illness that has no cure or treatment. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the pain and think that I can’t be happy until the pain stops. But since that’s not going to happen, I guess I need to just learn to be happy despite the pain.
Living in the now and appreciating it for what it’s worth is very difficult. I was (and still am) who thrives on goal setting and achieving the ‘next big thing’. This makes being in the present unsatisfying at times, but I’m slowly trying to turn that around.
This past Sunday was one such day when I literally frolicked in the ocean and then proceeded to be a goofball in Target and wear a turkey on my head the entire time shopping. It was a good day :)
Thanks for this positive post! Sometimes it is hard to find the silver lining, but that’s when you have to create it yourself. Often, I just remind myself that the tough times are getting me closer to the person I want to be and challenging me to be stronger and better version of who I strive to be.
My senior year of high school, my boyfriend of two years broke up with me. It was one of the hardest times of my life, but I came out of it so much stronger. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to stop crying, that everything would be alright, but I think handling it the way I did taught me far more than if I’d bounced back in a minute. I know now not to let other people create my happiness.
That bread looks ah-mazing. So excited for the recipe!
Weird.. I was just having a conversation with someone at lunch about finding the positive in the situation I’ve found myself in…
On Nov 15, 2004 I walked into work and was told that the office was closing and I was let go. I was devasted. In hindsight, it was the really the best thing… I picked myself up, got myself through a couple months of unemployment and worked at finding a job that fit.
Last week, I found out that as of Nov 10th, I won’t be working at the company I am at now.
Pretty much 6 years to the day, I find myself faced with another bout of unemployment.
Except instead of being devasted and thinking I’ll never find anything else, I know that’s not true.
I will survive, I might be counting pennies for a bit, but I can live without “stuff”. The things that are truly important, the irreplaceable things — family, friends– I am surrounded by those, so I might not find a job tomorrow, or even next week, but I know I will :)
That bread looks so good! mm!
And, its posts like these where you let us into your life and show how your own struggles turned into blessings in disguises and how things happen for a reason, that gives me the hope that the hard times I’ve been through will turn out the same. I love reading and ALWAYS look foward to each and every day! =) Thank you for sharing your life with us!
This is So Absolutely True… I have had a couple VERY difficult things to deal with in my life, and looking back now, I know they showed me how strong I truly am, and how I act in emergency and just what I am capable of. :) whew… there was a doozy, and sometimes I still am in awe when I think of how calm and collected I was.
Positive thinking and MAKING DECLARATIONS can be a Very Powerful Thing.
Yet again I am encouraged by your Post. I even shed a tear. Thank you for sharing:)
Great story..Nothing better then listening to nature on a run prefect time to just let your mind go and take it all in.. I never run with a ipod. I want to hear myself think or not. Just a beautiful thing.
Wonderful post today.
That’s a beautiful story, Angela. I always like to think something good comes from every situation, no matter how bad it may seem at the time. :) It helps you get through the rough times knowing it’ll all be worth it.
I bet the scenery was gorgeous for your run! I feel the same way with horseback riding through the leaves and cool weather- it’s so pleasant!
I really appreciated this post, Angela. I’m 16, almost 17, and my parents are going through a divorce right now. It is unbelievably hard with all the papers, discussions and drama, and sometimes it’s a struggle to see the bright side of things. I try to remember that this experience will help strengthen me though, and if I can handle this now, I will be much more prepared for challenging things in the future. Thanks again for this post. :)
Kelsey
You should write a book! Your inspirational stories along with your awesome recipes would make for an awesome book! I would buy it!! :)
I have actually been incredibly introspective lately, wondering where I’m at in life and why. I have always felt out of place in life, but lately I’ve discovered I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. And your so right, happiness is a choice.
Today my happiness was the ginger cookies I made from your recipe. They are pretty close to the best cookies I’ve ever made. Seriously. Thank you!
Love this- I totally agree! I even consider there to be a huge silver lining to reaching rock bottom with my eating disorder- though recovery was exceedingly difficult, it made me reconsider every aspect of my life, not just my relationship with food. I switched programs in University, re-evaluated my friendships, and started doing things that actually made me happy instead of what I assumed would please everyone else. I’m not 100% there yet in terms of being easy on myself, but I’m waaaay better at listening to that wise inner voice now.
It can be so hard to see the silver lining when you are in the cloud, you know? Like you said, hindsight is always 20/20.
To be honest, when I look back on the tough times of my life they aren’t so tough to me anymore. I’m having some issues with family members right now and I know that in the end everything will work out, but it is hard now. I don’t live with any regrets because my past decisions got me where I am today and they made me the person I am today.