How to find the treasure even on bad days

There are days and days; what if this slowdown holds a message for us?

On such a “bad day”, our monologue consists more or less of this sentence: “Today is not a good day!” Nothing works; nothing goes right. These are the moments when, if we look closely, it is mainly us who are not “functioning” as we should/would like: Nothing works spontaneously, we are easily irritable, we get distracted by little things, and we can’t concentrate. As if this wasn’t enough, we might be standing at the checkout in the supermarket and then there’s this unexpected, unkind remark from the person in the queue in front of us. Usually, we would overcome such a situation with ease, but it will crash on us like a meteorite if this happens on a “bad day”.

Now, we all have bad days from time to time. When they come, the only thing you can do is wait for them to pass and say it is as it is. But, if you experience such days often, it is worth questioning what such days are trying to tell you.

Don’t be tempted by self-pity, and don’t fall into the killing mindset with expressions like, “It’s always just me that these things happen!”, “I’m unlucky.”, “I knew it couldn’t go well.” Phrases like these trigger a downward spiral that prevents you from grasping the profound message of bad days or times. As soon as you realise that one of these bad days is coming, you have to accept it as such and with all its edges.

Accepting is one thing and changing our view is another. Let’s not focus on our thought of being an “unlucky person” but on the meaning of what is happening to us. “Does this slowdown hold a message for me?”

Take a good look at how you live and ask yourself: Should my life energy perhaps be directed differently? Is my life more duty than excitement? When exactly do these moments come? At work? At the weekend?

And then the not so insignificant question: How do I encounter my life every day? Am I living authentically? Maybe it’s not the “difficult time” but rather my way of approaching life?

Quite a lot of questions for a Monday, but these observations are worthwhile because our everyday life also needs space, context and attitude check-up now and then.

Photo by Pascale Weber for Nina Ricci Parfums / Styling Victoria Steiner