You know what? This morning I woke up feeling pretty shit. I felt alone, tired and couldn’t see too much to be happy about. I felt like there was no point in going to work and that the day just wasn’t going to go well… sad, for no real reason. Yes it was cloudy outside, yes it was Monday morning, but still, no real reason to be feeling that way.
I accepted the blues and didn’t judge myself. That was a huge achievement and looking back, I’m kinda proud.
Kicking on with the day, I jumped in the shower and went into autopilot mode. Thankfully, this included my sleepy brain remembering something I heard last night:
“You have made a commitment to yourself”.
Damn straight I have. I have made a commitment to be 100% me, right? A commitment to unconditionally love myself, no matter if I feel less than for a little while, or if I ate a shared size popcorn bag last night (who says I can’t share with myself? ha!)
Naturally, my mind then went to Disney. You know who is always able to push through bleak situations? Who is always a ball of sunshine, no matter what? Our mate, Dory.
Non judgemental
As we know, Dory’s memory is not the best. On the outside, this appears to be a character flaw. However, one really important upside to this is that she is non judgemental. How could she be, she can’t remember where she is going, let alone what she is “meant to judge”.
Dory’s ability to look at the world with fresh eyes is something that we can take with us. Practicing a nonjudgemental way of thinking is a step by step process. You can’t expect to switch off your “judgement switch” right away. Rather than all or nothing, I’ve been trying to add a touch of judgement free reflection into every day.
This is quite relevant at work. Dealing with frustrating situations can be… well, frustrating. Inspired by Dory, I have been trying to take a step back, think about the situation in the present and accept that Mr Frustrating is dealing with his own things and it’s not my place to be annoyed. He can be annoyed at himself, that’s fine. Through practising letting go like that, problem solving has become a lot more manageable. It’s all a process though. A process that I am committing to.
Probably even more important is moving towards non-judgemental internal reflection. As you know, my brain is unique (as is yours) and I am not always in control of my thoughts. More than that, I’m known for being hard on myself.. Working on it! Dory’s unconditional self respect and ability to accept herself for who she is and how she thinks is inspiring. I cannot stress how important it is to accept your thoughts, acknowledge where you are in the moment (internally and externally) and let it pass.
Energy
I don’t know about you, but swimming across oceans and seas, meeting new pals and cheering up a grumpy clown fish sounds exhausting. Somehow, Dory finds a way to have boundless energy. Perhaps her secret is a great diet, solid sleep, or a decision to give every day her best shot. Enough said, Dory’s energy is inspirational.
Energy levels have always been something that I have struggled with. By 3pm, I’m a mess and not too dissimilar from a zombie. Paying attention to my own energy levels, as well as the energies around me has become increasingly important lately. Without a healthy energy level, everything feels gloomy and solutions are hard to come by. Why not make like Dory and commit to being your most bubbly self. Not every day, and not all the time, that’s not possible. But, when you can, try to think of that lil blue fish and her eternal bounce. People will be drawn to you and you will find yourself with an extra zest for life.
By the way, one of my favourite humans, Dominique, is killin it in the energy department. She magically always has energy, even if she has just finished up a double shift! Not sure how she does it, but I certainly do admire her!
Just keep swimming
When a character’s catchphrase is ‘just keep swimming’, that says it all.
Chin up, move on and know that life is beautiful. It’s so simple, but so important. When I’m down, keeping that little phrase top of mind helps put things in perspective. No matter how grim things well, you and I will make it through, as long as we decide to.
It is these three personality traits in particular that have helped me push through my less than ideal start to the week and acknowledge that everything is going to be ok. It is time to… ‘just keep swimming’.
Magical Moments. 