Written April 20, 2018

We made it. Another week behind us and time for a little weekend relaxation and fun. Do you ever have those mornings where you wake up in bed and you just don’t want to move yourself from the covers and plant two feet on the floor to get started? You had a good night’s sleep, but for some reason the motivation just isn’t there to take that first step and you lay there just a little longer.

When that happens to me, and it did this morning, I try and focus on all the possibilities of the day. I received this gift of another day of life and I start to wonder just what this day is going to bring. When I was playing Mah Jongg with my good friend Fern last night, I commented that one of the things I love about the game is that after you have picked your tiles, every start of the game is a new possibility. There are 152 tiles and the variations that could come up with those tiles when you turn them over is what keeps the game interesting. So it is with our day.

When we wake up each day we are going to be presented with many choices that life is going to throw our way. Just like those tiles, life is going to present us with many possible variations of a day. It is how we pick and choose how those variations will make our day that will determine what state we are in when we finally fall back into bed in the evening.

I always question why work weeks seem to drag and weekends and vacations fly by. In reality, every day has 24 hours or 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. It is what we do with that gift of time that ultimately leaves us feeling either satisfied or dejected once those minutes have passed. Often a slow start can wind up in a fast finish, and that is what I try and do with my day each and every morning. Starting it writing to all of you is certainly motivation to get going.

Everyone is going to have a “down day” at some point or another. It is the nature of being human in the crazy world we live in. But if we make our choices wisely throughout the day, we can limit those down days and live a life that is full and rich and avoid wasting the precious moments that we are given.

So, if you are feeling a little lethargic this morning, focus on the possibilities that the gift of this day may offer. Find one thing you can do, either big or small, that will make you feel good. Buy a coffee for the person or car behind you, write just one card to a friend or a senior, take out the trash when you aren’t asked, phone a friend and remind them how much they are loved, or do something unique to you. When you go to bed tonight, focus on the day and all the opportunities you were presented, the choices you made and pat yourself on the back for making the most of the gift of the day you were given this morning.

Have a great weekend and remember to be the reason someone smiles today.

Ron