Tag: belief

There’s Always Tomorrow

Bailey GunnLeave a comment

Today was rough. In about every way possible. 

So today was not my day. But that’s okay. There’s always tomorrow. 

But I know you’re saying, but Bailey what if tomorrow is no better? What if it’s just an endless string of bad days? What then? 

Well, you just have to have hope. Because wherever there’s hope, there is a tomorrow. 

I hope your tomorrow is great. And the day after that. And the day after that. And I hope it continues like that until you’ve had a great life. 

Never mind a bad day.  Just hope for a better tomorrow.

Self-Ish

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I’m sure I’ve written about this topic before (maybe even under the same name), but I think it bears repeating. 

It’s not okay to be selfish. But it’s very okay to be self-ish. Let me explain. 

Selfish means that you’re not in touch with the needs of others and that you put yourself before everyone else all of the time. 

Self-ish means you’re in touch with the needs of others and that you put yourself before others some of the time. And that’s really it — some of the time, you need to take care of yourself. So be self-ish. Just ish. Just a little. 

Take yours truly, for example. I’m what you call a workaholic. (I call it overachieving). But whatever you call it, it doesn’t change the fact that I feel guilty and ashamed when I take a lunch break. A break that is provided to everyone equally, but for some reason, is difficult for me to accept. 

Now, I’m not selfish. I certainly don’t take a longer lunch break than anyone else. But I’m self-ish when I take a lunch break. I’m  putting myself and my needs first some of the time when it’s needed. 

So be self-ish sometimes, and you’ll find no reason to be selfish. 

10 Ways to be Nice to Yourself Right Now

Bailey GunnLeave a comment

I think, as a human, it’s hard to be nice to yourself sometimes. But add in the fact that you’re a rather awkward and clumsy human…and it gets harder.  

So, we all need to remind ourselves that we’re not all that bad. And sometimes, we’re even that good. And here’s how you do it:

1. Find a mirror. Look yourself in the eye. And smile. (I bet you can’t resist smiling back!) 

2. Take yourself out for a treat. Ice cream. Chocolate. Broccoli. However you define “treat.”

3. Wrap yourself in a blanket so your whole body is inside the blanket. Roll around the floor a couple of times. Call yourself a burrito. 

4. Read a book out loud to yourself before you go to bed. It’ll remind you of what it was like to have a bedtime story read for you. 

5. Take a shower or a bath. Or just wash your hands in warm water. It’ll feel good. 

6. Watch cute animal videos. Actually, make a habit of watching cute animal videos. They’re good for the soul. 

7. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Count fireflies. Say hello to people. (But don’t overthink it.) 

8. Watch a movie or tv show that you just love. Stay in the moment. Really watch it, like it’s the first time. 

9. Talk to a friend. Vent. Then let them take care of you for a little while. Just until you feel better. 

10. Take one deep breath. Take another. And another. Remind yourself that you’re doing the best that you can. 

Stop and Sniff

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“Stop and smell the roses.”

I always thought that meant that you should appreciate beauty in the world, wherever you find it. Or acknowledge living things when you can. 

But that’s not really what it’s saying. 

Stop and smell the roses means that you’re staying in the moment. You’re not worrying about what you are doing next week or the next moment. You’re simply admiring what life has to offer in this one. 

I’d encourage you to do more stopping and sniffing. You may never know when you can do it again. 

Asking for It 

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I believe we live in an abundant universe. Where anything you need, you can have. As long as you work hard and ask for it. That’s right–You have to ask for it.

You can’t expect Miss Cleo to read your mind all of the time!

 We do everything to ensure our place in life, except ask for it to be so. And really that’s the most important step. To set your intentions. 

Because I didn’t have a great day yesterday, my friends showered me with love and emotions. I didn’t ask them to, but they did anyway. And I’m so appreciative of that.

But I would have had a better day almost immediately if I had just asked for help when I needed it. My friends are great spiritual guides who can sense a disturbance in my force. But they shouldn’t have to. I should ask them when I need something. Pride can be a hard beast to rein, but do it anyway. 

The important thing isn’t to have a lot of friends. It’s to have ones that will be there when you ask them to. And yes, sometimes you won’t have to ask. But more times, you will and should. Everyone likes to be needed after all. 

Out of the Deep End 

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When I was in fourth grade, we took a swimming test. We were asked to swim freestyle from one side of the pool to the other. We were judged on our form and ability. We were then divided based on our skill level. (Yeah, I don’t get it either.)
As was always the case with my die or fail attitude, I wanted to be the best with all of the kids. I wanted to be in the most skilled group, no matter what. And after my second or third day in the pool, I got my wish. I went to the deep end with the other best kids. And what were they doing in that group? Treading water. That’s it. You couldn’t swim like the other groups. You just had to tread water. And I could feel myself going under and being unable to keep up. 

So, I asked to be knocked down a level. I asked to be placed lower than my ability. And they allowed me to be in another group. My teacher would ask me everyday if I wanted to try again in the deep end, but I refused. I liked where I was. It was easier. 

And I think that’s so important, even now. I wasn’t admitting defeat. I was recognizing the skills that I had and that I just wasn’t strong enough. I had to build up to it. It didn’t mean I wasn’t capable. It just meant that I was able to recognize when I was ready.

And you can too. Just don’t let other people define your limits OR your success. Only you can do that. 

A Little Patience

Bailey GunnLeave a comment

So, last night I posted that I was satisfied and grateful. And I am. 

But I didn’t get there over night. I’ve been working toward that. Toward accepting what I don’t know and trying not to be upset when I can’t control it. 

And besides the seldom zen moments that I had last night, my life goes a little something like this:

Wake up. Brush your teeth. Ponder your existence on this earth. Wonder why anyone reads anything you write. Wonder why you haven’t written a novel yet but a sixteen-year-old has. Eat lunch. Cry into your avocado toast. Leave work. Come home. Crank out thoughts of self doubt until you go to bed. 

So, believe you me, yesterday was like one bright shiny penny in a change purse full of subway tokens. I promise that it doesn’t happen all that often that I’m happy with one part of my life. 

But it can happen for you too with one simple rule: be patient. 

If something hasn’t happened yet that you’re waiting on, it’s because it. Isn’t. Time. And you have to believe that. Because a watched pot never boils, and an impatient life is a rushed one. Have patience. Good things come to those who…

Wait. 

Be Curious! 

Bailey GunnLeave a comment

I had a HUGE revelation today. 

I’m all about pursuing your passions. All for it. 

Except when it comes to quitting your day job. 

I know, I know. Big risk, big reward. But there’s something keeping you back from starting all over and pursuing your passion isn’t there? (Yes, Bailey. It’s my crippling student debt.) Okay, fair. 

But ask yourself — is your passion something you LIKE to do? Or are you truly interested and curious about it?

Because that’s what keeps me back from writing full time. One, because I love my blog and I don’t want to hate it because I have to rely on it to give me money. But two, and more importantly, I’m not curious about writing. I don’t want to learn about it. I just want to do it. It comes natural to me. And like most writers, I’m an egotist and I think I’ve learned everything I possibly can about writing. I’ll learn as I go. 

But what am I truly curious about? Science. I am interested in science. I love listening to podcasts about any kind of science, but mostly anatomy. I get truly excited about listening to how the human body works. I hung on every word of a woman who described how she became allergic to meat. And it’s only taken me until recently to realize that I have a passion for science, but I have a love for writing. 

The difference is that I can keep one as my mistress, and the other one keeps me up at night. (I’ll let you decide which is which.)

But the point is that when I stopped to think about it, I realized I could love what I do and still not be passionate about it. Just because I love writing doesn’t mean that I need to exorcise my soul to produce it. Sometimes, quitting your day job still doesn’t mean you are fulfilled. 

Take a Guess

Bailey Gunn1 Comment

Everything in life is a guess. It’s an estimate. It’s a theory. Sure, it may be based on some really, really, really good evidence. But it’s still just a guess. An assumption. A belief. 

Don’t believe me? Try it out. 

So, you’re an expert on astrophysics. 

“Yes.”

How big is the universe? 

“Well, our science tells us that we can estimate it to be…”

See? Scientists, fifth grade teachers, bomb experts, teenagers, presidents, the bourgeousie, soccer players, and even the Pope have one thing in common: we’re all just guessing. 

About what? About our lives and everyone in them. What’s our next move? Does he love me? Why am I here? Will I be successful? The answers are not easy to find. But they can be guessed at. 

Which should make us all really, really, really cynical, right? We should all throw our hands up in the air and give up on foretelling the secrets of the universe because all we have is our best guess. 

But do you know something? That simply means that your guess is just as good as someone else’s. 

And that puts us all on the same playing field with the same amount of confidence in knowing that we’re right. 

So, what’s the answer to your question? 

Take a guess. It may be your best bet. 

Resilience 

Bailey GunnLeave a comment

I got my blood taken the other weekend. And in a very intelligent next move, I decided I would shoot some archery in my backyard right after. While I did hit the target, I also managed to smack my arm with the bowstring when it was fully taut. Which is probably about the second worst injury you can sustain when shooting archery. (Hint, hint: the first has to do with the arrows itself.) But this was still pretty bad.

Due in part to the needle puncture, the crook of my elbow turned into a yellow and green bruised and broken blood vessel mess. (Which I was weirdly proud of.) I would check it every few days to see how things were progressing, but after a week, I forgot about it. And now today, it is completely healed.

And that is amazing. I mean, I literally got stabbed with a needle and then smacked a thick string with considerable force against my arm. That should make you say wow! But it doesn’t. Because you hurt yourself all the time and your body heals. It heals. And it’s become so normal that you don’t even comment on it.

Well, this got me wondering: if the vessel that carries you, your soul or your consciousness or your essence or whatever, is that strong, then how strong are you?

I’d say pretty dang strong.

I mean, we’re not hermit crabs or turtles with this hard shell and soft body on the inside. Because our bodies do fall apart eventually (mine seemingly more than anyone else,what with all my annoying but non-life threatening ailments). They protect most of us, like a shell, but not all of us, unlike a shell.

So, where does the rest of the protection come from? You. You have to believe if your body is strong and can heal itself in time, then so can you. Because until you are able to pull all of your extremities into a small shell, then you’ve got to defend yourself, all of you.

I just hope that the next time that you see a bruise on your skin, you’ll remember that it is, quite literally, only scratching the surface of all that you are. Things can always bruise you, but they can’t hurt you unless you let them.