At the Corner of Main and Resilience

Sometimes, life is hard. So f***ing hard.

The world comes at you big and bold and loud, with troubles and problems and heartbreaking sadness, and you sit amidst the noise and color and motion and you just want it all to slow down for a moment, to settle, to be so not in-your-face. Only for a little bit. 

Can't everybody stop the carnival madness for one flippin' second? 

But you don't get that. Because the world doesn't listen, no matter how loud you yell.

You teeter on the edge of losing it, on breaking down and crying alone in your car as the traffic sits at the light and your turn signal goes blink-blink-blink and you're not even sure how long that's been on and it might have been since that last exit and why can't you ever remember to turn it off? You wonder how you're going to make it through the next hour, let alone the rest of life. And how did you even get here?

On those days, when it all feels like hell, do this: look for the small victory, the tiny win, the one thing you did right.

It can be as simple as tying your shoes, because some days that seems to be the only thing you did right—tying your shoes. Everything else is screwed up, but damn, Skippy, you got some tied shoes.

Hold onto the simple things, to whatever you did right.

Cling to that. It might seem stupid and silly but when things aren't going your way, if you want to turn it all around, you will have to focus on what is going your way and build from there.

You got up this morning. You dressed yourself. And who knows, maybe tomorrow you'll put your belt on right the first time too.

Buck up. You still don't suck as much as you think you do.