Poor Monday. Nobody likes to go first. She’s got a heavy burden. Reminding us all of responsibility, requirements, reality. But what if we embraced her? Treated her with kindness and gratitude? Yes, another weekend is over, and yes, there are significant accomplishments to be made this week, but there are also myriad opportunities for gratitude and wonder and love and light. Relax. Breathe. Recalibrate. And remember that Monday can be glorious too! Ah, if only it were that simple. We’d all be so happy. And I’d be the best life coach to have ever graced this swirling orb! Although I do believe the simplicity of gratitude and breath can make your Monday much smoother, there’s so much more.
One Sunday night when I couldn’t sleep, mind racing with all the possible outcomes of my massive to-do list for the week, I suddenly thought “If the Addams Family really wanted to be scary why didn’t they name their daughter Monday instead of Wednesday?” (Yes, I do have a wonderfully strange and eccentric mind.) But seriously, why do we all despise Monday so much? Is it merely because she is a reminder that we cannot spend our lives sprawled on the couch, ignoring the mess and the should and the future, resplendent in our laziness? Or that we packed our weekend so full of fun and adventure, rushing from one exciting activity to another, and will miss the adrenaline rush we cannot seem to grasp in Monday’s presence? Perhaps it’s something deeper. The trapped, straitjacket feeling of needing to just ‘make it through’ another day, week, season? Here is where the line should be drawn. A subtle resistance and drag on Monday is natural, a change of pace requires a bit more inertia (whether you are the weekend warrior or the rest & repose rejuvenator). But a sense of loathing, resignation, despair at the glimpse of Monday – these are signs that you are stuck and the cycle is in need of reevaluation.
Be honest with yourself, if you are consistently greeting Monday with resentment, desolation, or resignation it is time to recalibrate. Life can be difficult, yes. But much of this difficulty is of our own making. We’ve accepted the ‘shoulds’ of culture thrust upon us to mean ‘must.’ We pursue goals that aren’t even ours. We’ve succumbed to outcomes that we don’t even desire. We’ve become blind to alternatives, options, and the uniqueness of our own souls. Here’s the truth bomb: Either your mindset or your current occupation can be changed. Or both. Gratitude and light are our birthrights. Our very existence allows for that, if we choose it. So sit for a moment and ruminate. Is this it? Is this all there is? Are you living optimally? If not, reach out. Take a class, join a club, try a new hobby, vary your route, get a massage, get a life coach. Interested in optimizing your life? Contact me, I’d love to assist.