A bad day…
It’s something defined by perspective. What you might see as a bad day may be considered a great one to someone else. However, there are some days when you really can’t see the good in your situation, even when it’s there. People will say, “Just think about how good you’ve got it.” Sometimes, though, when inspiration and determination are hard to find, you can’t think that way, and you only do what is asked of you to get through the day.
That is the mindset I found myself in at times throughout the past few months. The daily routine of being a college student, even as an athlete, can become monotonous. You wake up, go to class, go to practice, eat, and repeat. And when you top it off with the bad situations going on in some aspects of your life, it can feel like a pretty heavy load. If it wasn’t for one thing in my life, I couldn’t imagine how unbearable that load would have been.
And the one thing is God’s grace.
As a freshman in college, I know I don’t know everything, but there are some lessons God has shown me in my first few months of college. The most valuable lesson I have learned is to embrace those “bad days” I was talking about.
Those days when you’re only doing what you must, to get by. Those days when you can’t describe it to someone, but you’re just discouraged. There is a beauty in those days, and during the past few months, God has taught me to embrace these days.
It all started one day when I opened my Bible, and God led me to read 2nd Corinthians 12:9 where he states, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” When I read, “my power is made perfect in weakness” it stuck with me. Over the next few days, all I tried to do was remember my struggles were showing the power of God. Therefore, I should be blessed.
So how can we capitalize on a bad day? Reflecting on my experiences over the past few months, I’ve put together some thoughts on how you can embrace those days.
- Understand Everything Happens for A Reason
If everything in our life went according to our will, we would be a mess. That’s why those times, when we don’t get our way, we often look back and later think, “it was actually a good thing THAT never happened.” So even when you feel discouraged throughout the day, just believe God is doing it for His will, and his plan is way better than anything we have planned.
- Be Selfless
It sounds simple, but it is overlooked. If we’re constantly more concerned with other people than ourselves, we can’t get caught up in our little discouragement bubble about complicated things happening to us. It’s something I still struggle with but am striving to become better at every day. Ask yourself, what can I do to help this person or bring more value in whatever they’re going through? Selflessness isn’t easy, if it was everyone would do it, and we would live in a perfect utopia. It’s a mindset that makes you step outside of the norm of today’s society.
Even though it will sound challenging at times, it is definitely worth it.
- Connect with Other People and be Personable
I can only take so much small talk. I feel as if culture now reverts to small talk when they don’t know what to say. I think connecting with other people on a personal level is more satisfying because we’re learning about someone else’s culture, experiences, or anything else.
Whether it’s finding out the origin of someone’s life or just asking about a common hobby, you’ll find connecting with people will not only help your relationship skills but will also make you happier
- Complaining Will Do Nothing
Another thing I’ve realized since I got to college is people love to complain. You could see something great happening in someone’s life, and the first topic of discussion they come to you with is a complaint.
Sure, I’m not perfect, so I have subconsciously used this tactic.
And I am here as a witness to tell you …
It doesn’t work. Actually, it’s very tiring and makes you more miserable because complaining forces you to look at the negatives.
I’m self-aware enough to know I am not a finished product in any of these four areas I listed. I am constantly working on these areas day in and day out. As someone who has been through those bad days that you may also feel, I want to challenge you to try these ideas. You might just see a difference in your perspective and even find more happiness on a daily basis.
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