Make My Morning
Getting out of the wrong side of the bed is a completely real and legitimate thing. Trust me, I know. The neighbours have woken me up before my alarm, the dog is barking at his reflection and resembling Jack Nicolson from the Shining, I’ve checked my phone immediately to find yet another person is engaged or on holiday which is basically sticking two fingers up at the pandemic. There’s none of my fabulous Rituals shower oil left (bougie I know) so I’m using Lynx Africa and worst of all, we’ve run out of… I can’t even say it...coffee. The horror. Oh and I’m late for an important meeting.
Everyone one of these moments, although not important, life changing or event essential to my survival as a human, combined, puts my mind in a bad state. A state that says ‘IT’S ME AGAINST YOU WORLD’ in a Brave Heart kind of voice. As I reflect on my ‘bad morning’, I’m more than happy to lump these moments all together and tarnish the whole day. Much like a debt collector on the TV show ‘Can’t Pay We Take It Away’, I’m consolidating my bad moments and making them one giant one and the debt collector is about to reclaim my ‘good day’ away from me. But do I have a choice to see things differently? Can I take some power back and change the course of the day. The short answer - yes. Instead of me viewing these moments as an attack on me, I can view them as small road bumps on my metaphoric car journey through the day. These small road bumps are present, it’s the rules of the road; so expect them. The small bumps are spaced along your journey with enough time in between for you to deal with each one individually. Some bumps are larger with harsher gradients and skim the bottom of your car, but they don’t stop you. You just take the bump slower and use different skills to overcome it. For example you may need to use a hill start or in real life - five deep breaths from your belly, filling your entire lungs. The breath out releases and lets go of the stress and tension. Some bumps are small and frequent, but you know the road and you know they finish after this particular bit of road or ‘bad morning’.
Once your car starts to tackle a bump, there is not a sheer drop over the other side. There is just a flat road. And despite what you might think considering your local council, the road has been newly resurfaced and is a pleasure to drive along with beautiful trees and greenery pathing the roads. The road is wide and spacious. Your favourite song is playing and you can smell an uplifting scent that raises your mood to a frequency above the small bumps that have now passed.
Too yogified for you? ‘All this spiritual b******* ain’t for me’ I can hear you say. Why not try it first then judge the process. Allow yourself to try it. Gift this simple idea of the car journey with the bumps as a present to yourself that might just improve your day by a fraction.
Ultimately, we all want the same things. Happiness, love and to be seen. People who actively practice and feel these things are more successful and have deeper and more meaningful relationships. Sounds good to me. I want some of that. You have the power to control your happiness after a bad morning by starting to train your mind and this easy and simple technique may just be a small starting post to a journey of increasing your happiness.
Had a shocking morning? Let us know by DMing us on instagram @bertieandbritish for your chance to have a miniature Uplifting Candle sent to your home.
And breathe.
