Yesterday, I had a ‘bad’ day. It was one of those typical days when nothing seemed to go right. It started with just one little setback. Before I knew it, I found myself sinking into frustration, worry and despair. There is a Tibetan saying, “Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength. No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.”
We all have bad days and we all face stressful and difficult situations, obstacles, and hard choices. Every day we experience risks, challenges, uncertainty, and emotional exposure that present us with an opportunity to be vulnerable and make us stronger.
We all have bad days, but one thing is true; no cloud is so dark that the sun can’t shine through.- Miranda Kerr
The secret to growth is learning how to move forward in spite of tough days and experiences, instead of trying to avoid them or letting them drag you down. It’s about realizing that not every day is good, but that there is always something good about every day.
Here are some things to remember when you’re having a bad day and there is a dark cloud looming over your head.
It’s okay to have a bad day
Oftentimes, it’s your inner-perfectionist that’s setting high expectations about how your day should look. But to believe you can control everything and to think you should only have good days is setting yourself up for disappointment.
In life, you will face many struggles and things don’t always go as planned or as fast as you want them to.
So instead of beating yourself up for a tough day, try to realize that they are part of life and your journey. Allow yourself to tune into your feelings without judging them, and simply acknowledge their presence.
It will pass
Remember that even the darkest night eventually ends and the sun will rise. And that sometimes things have to go very wrong before they can go right.
No matter how sad, ashamed or anxious you are feeling now, it will pass.
This day will pass and you’ll be a little stronger tomorrow.
Every situation is a learning experience
Life’s greatest lessons are usually learned at the worst times and from the biggest mistakes and setbacks.
You have to remember that you, as a human being, are capable of handling difficult situations and overcoming adversity.
We all make mistakes, we all make a complete fool of ourselves every now and then, and we all know what it’s like to lose ourselves in worry when we’re faced with uncertainty or unexpected situations. It’s how you respond to those experiences that makes all the difference. Take everything as a lesson learned. The good, the bad, and everything in between. Because the experience itself will pass, but the lessons you learn from will last a lifetime.
There is so much to be grateful for
We tend to focus on the things that we don’t have (yet) or what went wrong. But there is so much more to be thankful for each day and so much to honor within ourselves. We just need to take the time to actually do so.
Gratitude attracts abundance and creates a positive source of energy that will help you get through the hard days and move forward.
Just take a moment to reflect and write down or say three things you are grateful for at that moment.
Progress is not always visible
You may not be where you want to be yet. That doesn’t mean you aren’t moving forward or that you are not good enough today.
Progress is all about overcoming adversity and moving forward at your own pace, not all at once.
It’s about allowing yourself to trust the process and keep taking small steps in the right direction, no matter what life throws at you. When you’re having a hard time, try to remember that you’re still growing. Not because you’ve only had good days, but because you survived the bad ones and kept pushing forward in spite of them.
A final thought
Just because you’re having a bad day, doesn’t mean you’re having a bad life. Just because you feel lost or stuck every now and then, doesn’t mean that you are. And just because you feel lonely or sad, doesn’t mean you’re unworthy of love and belonging.
Look beyond your fears, self-doubt, and negative feelings and open your heart and mind to new possibilities and experiences.
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This article SERIOUSLY helped me today. I needed to read/hear this. I was having a really bad day, and these valid points helped me put some things into perspective, so thank you for that! (:
Hi Rachel,
I just saw this comment, so sorry for not replying sooner! You are a super warrior, just remember that. 🙂
Hi, I was having quite a bad day over petty things really. But dusts pile up to become a mountain. I went online to distract myself because the images of what happened was burned into my mind and can’t shake it off. I saw your article and I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you so much.
I am glad you found it helpful, Crysallis! ????