When it rains, it pours… you know what I mean? 

Like, when the clouds fill the skies for more than a day, people accidentally grab their grumpy pants when they get dressed in the morning. Without knowing it, they are claiming victims right and left- simply by forgetting to be kind. Or forgetting to be thoughtful. Or forgetting that we are all human and we all make mistakes.
You know what I mean?

It can be rough to survive one of those days. But then sometimes it happens for 2 days. Or 5 days. Or an entire week.
And at the end of each day you start to look forward to shutting out the world and hiding under the covers… and sometimes when your alarm goes off the next morning you plead with God that it’s actually Saturday and you forgot to shut your alarm off.

I’ve been there. Have you?

It’s really easy in those moments to slip into pity party mode and pass the negativity on to others… BUT… do you really want to do that?

You still have a Choice.

Just like so many other things in your day, you get to choose the path you’re going to take when the dust settles from the raincloud people. You can become one, or you can be the Sunshine- perhaps it’s what that person needs to flip the switch in their own world.

We’d be lying to ourselves if we said that we’ve never been raincloud people. I speak from experience when I say there have been days when I couldn’t stand myself. Sometimes I figure it out by myself, usually in the moment when I’m freaking out over a very minor thing- like having a total meltdown because my hairspray didn’t set correctly and I now look like I have bedhead. (Don’t lie- you’ve been there.) Sometimes I figure it out because other people let me in on the reality of my attitude. There’s a general rule in my house that my husband isn’t allowed to ask me if I’m crabby or call me crabby, because in all honesty that makes everything worse. But there are key phrases and words that alert me to the fact that I might just be a little hard to handle- like “are you tired?” “do you need to eat?” or simply “how was your day?”

Whether you figure it out on your own or find it out in the reactions or statements of others… You still have a Choice.

Upon hearing/figuring it out, you get to decide whether you’re going to sink into a deeper funk, making the world even more miserable, or you’re going to reset your attitude in that moment. I get it- it’s not always easy to “snap out of it.”. Try one of the following:

• go for a walk/run, or do your own favorite exercise
• deep breaths… remember that You still have a Choice
• write down 3 things you are thankful for, and then spend a few moments thinking about those things
• SMILE. at yourself in the mirror. at the strangers on the street. for no reason in particular- just fix your face
• if possible, hug someone. the power of human touch is incredible
• take a bath, read a book, meditate… something relaxing and enjoyable

I cannot promise you that these things are the magical cure, because remember: You still have a Choice. If you go for a walk but stew on all the crappy things your friend said to you that day, it might not be so effective. If you make your thankful list but follow up each thing with “BUT,” you missed the point.
Channel your mind into knowing that you are working towards the goal of happiness and contentment.

Of being Sunshine for others.

You still have a Choice today.
Make it a good one!