Ever have an “off” day? You know, those days when you wake up and just want to stay in bed? You feel a bit down, a little sad, maybe even anxious… just OFF! Well, today was one of those days for me. At first, I fought it. I tried to be “happy” because I think that’s what my clients want and need from me. But the more I tried to be happy, the worse I felt. So let’s get REAL – we all feel down sometimes because we’re HUMAN. Even “happiness” coaches feel crappy every once in awhile!
The question is: what do you do with your off days? Do you allow your head to spin into a downward spiral of negativity where you hate the world, yourself and life? Do you let your mood take over your day, keeping you from all that needs to get done? Or do you lean into the feeling with grace and persist through?
Today’s Purpose-FULL Monday VLOG is about persisting through to purpose – even on the crappy days. It’s a huge lesson to remember on Holocaust Memorial Day today! In the foundational work on life purpose, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl, teaches us that when we have purpose, we can live through the toughest circumstances.
So how can you persist through the rough patches?
1. Be kind to yourself: One of the worst things we can do when feeling down is to make ourselves feel worse by beating ourselves up. Yet we all do it! We think a good beating will get us to “snap out of it!” Well if your 6 year-old niece cried to you that she didn’t feel good, would you tell her to “shape up!”? Of course not! You’d hug her and tell her that it’s okay to feel icky and that everything will get better. Do the same for yourself. Make some tea, hug a pillow and be gentle with your soul. You’re human.
2. Remind yourself of your purpose. Whether you are here to care for children, empower women, or innovate technology, your actions matter. You are needed. This doesn’t mean to stifle your icky feelings or “pretend” that they don’t exist. It means that you don’t let a crappy day deter you from your life’s mission. Do what needs to get done – you’ll be amazed by how good it feels to accomplish even the smallest of tasks.
3. Ask for support. We all need help. Why do you think teams have coaches and cheerleaders? We benefit from someone who is in our corner! Sometimes, we think we have to be “Superwomen” and “Supermen” who do it all on our own. That’s unrealistic and it’s not productive or supportive. By having a close friend, family member or coach support you through living your purpose, you’ll have a team and success will multiply!
