3 Tips for Brighter Days

There will always be a gloomy day, like the one we have now here in Manila.  The sky is just so gray and dark with the impending typhoon. Winds are strong and rains come and go, bringing with it the possibility of floods in the streets, leaving a lot of commuters stranded.   If you’re not guarded enough, the weather may affect your mood, make you feel sluggish, unfocused, drowsy…sleepy, even sad and depressed!

BUT.. guess what? Everyday can be a brighter day!

 

 

BLAZING TIPS FOR A BRIGHTER DAY

 

1. Wake up early

Robin Sharma encourages his readers to wake up at 5:00am in the morning. He calls it the 5 am habit.  Olympic champions dare wake up when everyone is sound asleep, warm on their beds. The Bible tells us that Jesus often woke up “while it is still dark” to accomplish his very first task – meditate and pray.

This early morning wake-up time makes sense! When I get to wake up early, just when sun peeks through the clouds, everything is just so quiet and serene. There’s no need to hurry. I take a few minutes just to be silent, say a prayer, read the Word – something inspirational to start my day.  I breathe quietly and set my heart and mind for the day ahead. These are priceless moments. Time to set my pace and prepare myself for tasks to be accomplished.

Waking up an hour early means that you have 7 hours in a week, 28 hours in a month, 336 hours (equivalent to 14 days) in a year!  —- That is 14 days of harnessing your focus and goal setting skills,  14 days of inspiration and prayer,  Two whole weeks of inner strength, calm and peace!

Think about it! Does it make sense?

 

2. Be that “Ray of Sunshine!”

Let your life be a blessing to others in small and little things. I recently paid my monthly phone line at a mall. Your payment details like name and number has to be entered for you to be part of the line. A woman there was rude and mad, barking at the service provider who, in fact, was doing his very best to enter details as fast as he could so he could serve more customers.

If I see designated people slacking off and doing unrelated things instead of serving their customers, then it’s OK to react and call their attention. But to bark at a poor man who is doing his very best is just plain rude. When it was my turn, I gave my details as politely as I could.  He served me with a sweet smile. He said his apologies and told me that a new system is being implemented, which started that morning.   I waited for 2 people to get their transactions done and went out of that place early. It could have been my job! That guy could have been me or a friend. I chose to be kind. It is cool to be nice!

At the grocery line, a new cashier was panicking, taking so long to process a debit card transaction.  You could see so much panic and fear in her eyes. I was 4th in line and would also like the process to be faster. Yet, I saw how this young lady was doing her best.  The people behind me were showing their impatience, but again, I chose to be kind. I chose to be patient.

When my turn came, I offered help by putting my purchased items inside the paper bag. She appreciated it and said her apologies. She said that she was just starting out and learning.  I said, “It’s OK, soon you’ll learn how to do it well.” She said, “Thank you Ma’am, Please do come back again.” with a smile.  What she needed wasn’t scolding. She needed encouragement. It felt good to be nice.

The world, with all its problems can be a bit brighter when we spread rays of kindness wherever we are.  Who knows? When a time comes and you need kindness, it will be given back to you richly and freely!

 

3. Be on “learning mode”
Recently, I re-entered the corporate world and became a new hire once again. For 8 years I have worked in a Bank, went to the US for 5 months, came back and decided to work again. It is amazing what you would learn when you decide early on to be on learning mode. You meet new people, know more about processes, values, benchmarks and culture.  Overwhelming?  A definite Yes!  My first week was so full of learnings that I often have to remind myself not to let moments pass but to absorb everything I can to be the best I can be.

Learning new things will stretch you. But the benefits will far outweigh any momentary troubles we may have. Instead of controlling everything, and feeling bad (because you really cannot control everything), be a learner instead and learn all you can.  You’ll not only be wiser,  you’ll be significant. Why? because you bring value wherever you are. You add value to your workplace and you add value and meanings to your relationships. People will soon seek your advice because you chose to learn. You chose to be stretched. You chose to be valuable.

Brighter Days are Ahead

There will be days when you don’t feel like being  and doing your best. But decide and try your best anyway. Life is too short to be mediocre and everyday is a gift.  Your life does not have to be affected by the weather.  You can CHOOSE to have an internal weather station that broadcasts “It’s a sunny day, everyday!”

Choose to Bloom, Blossom and Grow, even in gloomy days!