We all have bad days. You know those days when nothing seems to go your way. It may begin that you burn the toast, get stuck in traffic and run late for an important meeting.
The boss isn’t happy, the kids’ school phone to tell you that your youngest has an unidentified rash and needs to be picked up, the bank loan that you applied for got rejected. The big red button in your brain flashes “WARNING, WARNING, BRAIN OVERLOAD!”. Your inner-chatter goes haywire, “God, what a day!”, “Nothing is going my way”, “Why does this stuff always happen to me?”
Basically, we get caught up in our story of our victimhood. Somehow, in the moment these things are just happening to you. It all becomes very personal. That night, watching TV as you rustle through bank papers and try to comfort your child all at the same time, a program catches your attention. A young, sweet couple are telling their story to a news program. Their disabled son needs some money for a new wheelchair, the bank is taking their house off them because they defaulted on their loan trying to pay their son’s medical costs. Halt! Your mind stops! You take a breath. You know your day is a walk in the park compared to someone else. All of a sudden—your perspective shifts. You go from grumpy to grateful in the matter of minutes. You are amazed at the positive attitude this young couple exude. Against the odds they still remain hopeful. They still look for solutions.
What happens next? You pick yourself up from the doldrums and tell yourself, “If they can remain hopeful when they have all this to deal with, then I can too.” Their story shifts yours!
You calmly hug your child and whisper “I love you”. Your heart now sober to the true reality of life. You neatly pack your papers away and decide to approach another bank tomorrow. One rejection doesn’t mean the end. Automatically your perspective is altered. Life is not so bad after all. A stranger altered your day and they don’t even know it. It may sound too simple to be true, but stories can change your day and your perspective.
