Yesterday wasn’t a good day for me. I discovered aphids on my tomato plants. I’ve been editing together chapters of my novel, The Box, into a podcast and managed to lose the edits for an entire episode. I’d been working for hours on these edits trying to figure out how to use effects to make my voice sound good and all of my work was lost. I know I should be saving as I go, but we don’t always do what we should. On top of that my head ached all day long and the pain just wouldn’t subside. I just felt generally like there were far too many things to do and not enough time.
We all have those days when we feel like dropping everything, driving to the airport, and hopping on the next plane to Turkey. Come on, I can’t be the only one.
There was a time when the events above would’ve sent me into an anxious worried state that prevented me from getting anything done at all. I would’ve dealt with the day by going back to bed, but I’ve turned over a new leaf … or at least I’m trying to.
One of the things that has worked the best for toning down my anxiety and helping me get through less than ideal situations is simply realizing that this too will pass. It seems cliche, but sometimes cliches are true. When you’re in the moment, it’s easy to get so wrapped up in it that you feel like it will last forever. Remembering that it won’t really goes a long way for me.
Thinking in the long-term brings your life into perspective. I’ll do something about the aphids. I’ll be re-edit that podcast episode tomorrow. My headache is most probably not an aneurysm and will go away. Looking at these concerns with today’s perspective they seem silly, but at the time they were huge to me. Maybe I’m a bit of a drama queen.
Remember to look at the long-term. We are constantly moving through time. Nothing lasts. The good and the bad all pass eventually. Experience them, feel them, and let them pass through your fingers tips to make room for the experiences that lay ahead.
Each day brings new experiences and new opportunities. The question is, what are you prepared to do with them?
