Last night BB and I were talking a lot about expectations. I know that sounds awfully deep for a Tuesday night 2 for 1 at WK, but those are the kind of conversations that we have, which is why I absolutely love my one-on-one time with her. We have a very keen understanding of each other, which does not always mean that we agree, feel or do the exact same things, but instead it is a calmness in knowing our differences are not attributes that pull us away from each other, but rather challenge each other to grow. So while we were chatting about life and our expectations of the future - and all the other things girls sip wine over - my wheels started to turn.
We live in a society of instant gratification and high expectation. Our time is a true investment and the return on that investment better be valuable 100% of the time. The problem is when something even slightly goes wrong or derails, that expectation is not met. The day that started off great suddenly becomes a "bad day." Think about it. How many times do you end the day (especially a work day) feeling like it was exhausting, stressful or just overall sucked? Monday - Thursday perhaps? Hopefully a lot less. But my point is, if you are anything like me, the status quo is not something I am programmed to appreciate like I should. Especially in January when it is cold and gray and I feel my self-diagnosed SADD kicking in, the end of my work days feels more like the finish line of a marathon than simply another day complete. I really do blame the cold for this. Absolutely. It just makes everything - even changing into my PJ's and enduring the moment of coldness on my skin - a chore. (cue the violins).
But the truth is, living in the moment and enjoying each day often means living without expectations. This has proved to be true in multiple times in my life. It is always the night you really don't want to go out, that you end up dancing your face off and having the most fun time. It is always the mornings that you want to throw your alarm clock out the window, that you have the best workout when you finally get your butt to the gym. We all know this to be true - when your expectations are low, you can only go up from there. And of course in those moments a cup of coffee or a LIT can go a long way. Yep. You heard me right. An LIT at 5:30am is just the ticket to a good workout ;) (mom, I'm kidding).
Looking forward to things is always part of the fun of course. In high school, most of the time I had more fun getting dolled up then I did at the actual dance. But the key is to appreciate the emotions and the moment you are in because projecting into the future is like paving a road in gold, so when you find yourself no where near that road at all, but rather running full speed in a muddy path beside that road, you don't realize that you should be happy to be moving forward at all.
I truly think taking the time to recognize the little things in life that make the daily grind bearable is key, so here are some of the small things that I have done this week that have been surprising nuggets of happiness.
1. Yesterday I shoveled a lot of dry fiber one cereal into my mouth in what I thought was a post-dinner binge fest - and also a complete moment of insanity. But binging on fiber one cereal turns out to be a very effective way to de-bloat. So thank you Fiber One and my inability to portion control. I salute you.
2. This morning I got my butt out of bed to go to my spin class. In that moment I wanted to sledge hammer my alarm clock and cry a little. But all it takes is ten minutes and a cup of coffee to wake up. Great decision. Felt great, much needed, and I beat the snow flurries and the morning traffic on the way to work.
3. I signed up for a 60 day free trial of Mobile Me. I need to figure out how it is going to work and "sync my life" like it promises. Okay they don't say "life" but that is my expectation (note to self - read above Jenny). I am looking forward to that seeing as my work computer is a dinosaur that could crash at any moment, leaving me with nothing. Awesome.
4. VERIZON GOT THE iPHONE! I am SUPER excited about this. Finally people.
5. Tonight I am going to eat at Sweet CeCe's - Froyo HEAVEN. Get ready praline yogurt machine. I will dominate you.
What are your nuggets of happiness this week so far?
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