Day 16: Today, Say Thank You (Yes) to Everything
“Any time something doesn’t go the way we wanted, or someone hurts our feelings, or something makes us upset, we are complicit in the offense. We choose our reaction. We choose what glasses we see things through. We don’t have to let it frustrate or upset us. We can always say, “Yes, thank you.” (Daily Stoic New Year, New You Challenge Day 16 Email)
I loved this challenge, and I also found it super difficult! Like many of you, I have a, ahem, strong, perspective on “how things should be”. I have an opinion on everything from when it’s appropriate to jaywalk to the correct way to eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup*. I enjoyed the opportunity today, however, to take things in stride, starting with the torrential downpour this morning.
I absolutely love walking the 1.2 miles to work – it is my favorite daily activity. So, when I geared up to head out and saw that it was a monsoon outside, I was crushed. My rain jacket is just OK. My umbrella is weak, and I don’t own rain boots. There was no way I was walking 25 minutes to work without showing up like a drowned rat! I was about to curse Mother Nature, when I took a breath, remembered the challenge, and changed course.
I decided to work from home for an hour and then reassess. I enjoyed slowing sipping warm team while attending to emails and preparing for a customer call. I reassessed after the call and realized it was still pouring and that Lyft was my best option to make it to the office for a key meeting. While I didn’t get my steps in, I did enjoy taking the very circuitous route cars must take to get to my office. It made me appreciate how I can carve a more direct path by walking. My driver – Fran Panchito – and I conversed in Spanish and joked about taking Tequila shots to make it through the gloomy day – I had a great time!
My friend couldn’t make a call I was really looking forward to tonight, and so I say, “Yes, thank you for this extra time to write a post and watch the 2020 Vision Challenge Day 3”.
*The best way to eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is to bit off all the chocolate around the edges and then the chocolate across the top, and then – and only then – to devour the peanut butter with the remaining chocolate. Mmmm.