renewing your spirit.

Last week for me was the epitome of the saying, "when it rains, it pours." It seemed like every possible thing that could have gone wrong, did. We have all had days or weeks like this and when you are smack dab in the middle of it, it seems like things will never be good again, but it always ends. And when it's finally over all we can do is look around and ask ourselves "what now?" When that streak of bad days is finally broken and we are triumphant by some God given miracle, the important thing is right then and there to make a plan to insure that, the parts that were actually in your control don't happen again. Maybe it was a bad reaction to something someone said or did that could have been handled in a better manner. Maybe it was getting sick due to lack of sleep, stress, or anxiety over things happening in your career world. Maybe it was ending a relationship with a close friend or significant other because of something terrible they did. Maybe it was losing your job after blowing up on your boss. Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it. This being said, hindsight is 20/20. We can't always control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it, and better yet, how we can grow from it. When we think back to a difficult time we faced, was there a way to prevent it? Should you have opted out of spending two weeknights in a row up late catching up on your favorite TV episodes? Should you have decided to hit the gym instead of meeting friends for drinks 5 out of 7 nights last week? Should you have communicated better with your friend about how her actions were making you feel? Should you have approached your boss with concerns about a coworker prior to starting world war 4 with him? We all make mistakes in life and handle things incorrectly at one point or another. The important thing is reflecting on what caused your mishap of a week, and considering if handling things differently could have created better results. Personal reflection is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Whether you blog, journal, read, take a drive, or go for a long walk; it's all about how you function best. Once you take that time for yourself, tie up any loose ends, and come to terms with everything, it's time to renew your spirit. A simple change of perspective can do this instantly. So you made a bad choice with how you handled things with a friend- if you are interested in making amends, do so. If not, consider looking up some fun happenings in your local area and go on the prowl for some new gal pals. If you got so stressed out that your body shut down and you were sick for a week, get reacquainted with the gym, consider scheduling massages once/month, or see about picking up a self-help book at your local bookstore. If you got so annoyed with your job that you stopped performing well, consider being honest with your boss and see about picking up some new responsibilities or devising a plan where both you and she can thrive on a daily basis. There are always ways to turn a negative into a positive; typically all it takes is a little perspective change. Once you're there, focus on all the good things you have going for you and you'll realize that a bad day here or there is normal. Reflect. Recover. Renew. Before you know it, you will be tackling the huge stack of papers on your office desk, calling an old friend to reconnect, nailing a job interview, or kicking butt in your spin class. Learn when to let go, when to hang on, when to walk away, and when to let a bad experience make you a stronger person.