These kinds of days are rare, few and far between.
Today (Sunday, April 28th, 2019) has been a Good Day.
However, what makes it “good”? That can vary from person to person.
For me, it’s a sense more than contentment. Might it be happiness?
(Well, if so, that’s a let down to think a majority of days aren’t “happy”. But must we be bursting at the gills with unconstrained joy 24/7? Probably best not to be that jovial. Sounds tiring.)
Regardless of the sensation, I like it. I’m sure you’ve felt the same at some points in life. Maybe even this week!
So how do we get this good feeling to come calling again?
To do that, what makes up these “good days” ought to be looked at factually but in broad strokes. Let’s take my day today as an example:
- 5:30 AM wake-up; protein powder and coconut-oil + baking-chocolate drink.
- 7 AM arrival at event site; provide support + hang out with strangers and teammates for event.
- Take pre-competition cocktail (beetroot and maca powder, whole wheat spaghetti w/ peanut butter and oil, vitamins)
- 8:30 AM first-in-line competitors at event.
- I excel / don’t fail at event; team doesn’t fail at event.
- Casually hang out / watch other teams / work out.
- Learn we (the team) have won event; get medals.
- Casually post online.
- Shower + eat pancakes.
- 40 minutes editing a story.
- 20 minutes laundry.
- 15 minutes watching comedy (laughing).
- 20 minutes meditation.
- 1 hour of edits.
- 15 minutes light exercise.
- Another hour of edits.
- Make mac’n’cheese + frozen peas + egg. (It’s binge day on the 6-on, 1-off schedule!)
- 20 minutes of writing in the journal (summarize dice game idea and decide between writing this post and playing video games).
- Writing this post! (17 minutes in by this bullet.)
My feelings are that I’ve done some cool stuff with cool people today while also saving time for myself for rest and accomplishment. That story is in good shape, I have a blog post incoming, and there is still time I might watch a cool movie or play a nifty video game!
Some generalities of today: Excellent weather (high of ~90 F, low wind), meeting people for a time, early-morning physical accomplishments, later-day personal project accomplishments, naps, and a touch of carb-rich foods.
What about other days?
Not all days have felt this good. Relatively few, in fact. The last time I recorded a really good day was April 13th. I’ve only thought to record a few similar times – these days still show some themes:
- Great weather.
- Physical accomplishment in the early morning w/ a team.
- Casually watching people in a park do physical activity.
- Socialize w/ strangers while also escaping to be on my own.
- Casual physical activity.
- Some generally-bad-for-you food w/ others.
- Watch a good movie (Watchmen).
- Laugh.
These are days to cherish. They don’t have the same specifics between them, nor do they need to. To get joy consistently / reliably is a work in progress.
A great outcome of taking note of these days and feelings is that I now have things to aim for, things to plan into my future. Certainly, this feeds into my analytical nature, these eyes for detail and pattern recognition.
If I plan on being happy, that comes with effort. It only could occur because 1) I’m aware and not afraid of my own feelings, 2) I wrote down and recognize what worked before, and 3) I forgave myself of backing off of various responsibilities (ie hanging out, video games, chores [this floor won’t vacuum itself…]).
Now I’m equipped for better days ahead. What to look for, what to say “yes” to, what to protect. If a record of the “good days” was absent, where would I be?
Without knowing the themes of your good feelings, where are you?
Jimmy Chattin 