It’s Monday!
Truth be told, it’s Sunday night as I write this blog post, but I’m already thinking about Monday and all of you who will be reading these words. And for you all, it’s Monday.
Now that we have that little time-bending thought cleared up …
I’m one of those (few) people who likes Mondays. The first work day of the week equals a fresh start — the chance to tackle my To Do list and, who knows, maybe actually clear it off.
A person can dream, right?
There are Mondays that I get out of bed with an ample supply of determination — wide awake and raring to go. By the end of the day, even if I don’t accomplish everything, I’m still satisfied with what I’ve done. Why? Because I’ve stayed focused, even in the midst of frustrations and interruptions.
And then there are the days that I leave all my “want to” stuffed under the blankets. Determination? I’m sorry, it’s snoozing the day away — and so am I. By the time I crawl back in bed, I drag a whole lot of discontentment with me.
Here’s what I’ve realized: I can’t always determine how much I’ll accomplish each day — although setting goals is important. Life does come with inherent responsibilities, right?
No matter what, I can determine who I’ll be each day. I can stay true to my beliefs, no matter the frustrations or the interruptions. I can stay true to my values whether I cross one thing off my To Do list — or everything off my To Do list. On the days I do stay true to myself, I go to bed soul-satisfied. And that is quite enough.
In Your Words: What do you want to accomplish today? What one action or attitude would make today a “rise and shine kind of day!”?
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Comments 10
One thing I’ve learned through the study of Zen is that “life is a moment is a process”; this is particularly important to me now, when I can’t say from hour to hour how much I can do.
I do know “myself”. in the terms in which I can be defined as an individual…and I know that I generally do my best, and have little affinity for indolence. So if I feel I have to take a day off, it’s not laziness, it’s a necessary part of achieving optimum efficiency.
Likewise “how I act”. Courtesy and fair play are important values, and have been fairly consistent for me, both in my perception of my behavior and in others’ assessments. On days when I fall short, there’s generally a reason. It doesn’t make me a bad person, it just makes me a good person who reacted badly to something and did not fully control his behavior. It happens (but I try to analyze why, so I can make sure that it happens less frequently!).
Finally, goals (aside from life-critical responsibilities) and achievement are something of a chimera. Life is found in the being and the doing, and if satisfaction isn’t renewed in those places, it hasn’t been touched at all.
Author
Andrew,
There’s a lot of wisdom tucked in your comment.
The importance of knowing yourself.
The importance of realizing sometimes you need a day off — and that doesn’t mean you’re lazy. No, it means you value yourself and you value rest.
The importance of recognizing that a bad reaction doesn’t make you a bad person.
All good stuff!
🙂
Thanks, Beth!
And perhaps the greatest knowing is that God does not care what I accomplish. He only hopes that I meet each day with honor, fair play, and good sportsmanship. Those are victories in themselves.
Amen, Beth. It’s so important to stay true to yourself, then you can put the day to bed knowing that you did your very best. I’m a Monday person too. Love ’em.
Hi Beth! It’s been a while since I’ve visited, and honestly, I wasn’t planning on reading any blogs this morning. I’m short on time, as I have to tutor earlier than usual today… which means my time to mark things off my To Do list has been shortened by around three hours.
But I’m so glad I stopped in today. I’ve missed gleaning knowledge and wisdom from you, and today’s article is exactly what I needed to hear. Just because it’s Monday or I overslept doesn’t mean I can’t still accomplish things. It doesn’t have to tank my attitude or steal my contentment or satisfaction with what I do today. I can still work hard and fast this morning and get things done before my students arrive.
Thanks for the dose of confidence and determination, my friend. I hope you accomplish many things on your To Do list today. And may we both go to bed satisfied with a smile tonight. 🙂
Blessings,
Andrea
Author
I am so glad you stopped by today, Andrea!
You’ve been missed — but I certainly understand how life gets busy and blogs go by the wayside.
And yes, may today be satisfying for you too!
Aww, Beth! I’ve missed you too.
Some days my plans are different from God’s. Today is one of those days. 🙂
Author
Praying for you, Pat. May you find joy in the midst of an unplanned day … or rather, a day going according to God’s plans.
🙂
I like Mondays also and for the same reason, it’s a fresh start. if I’m not focused, though, by Wednesday, I’m exhausted. It’s good to think about why … it’s because of discontent. It’ll get to me every time. I keep thinking, “Eat that frog.” Get the hard stuff out of the way first. Yep, it’s a good week when I do.