I went to the high school today for a meeting. As I was walking down the hallway, I was greeted by one of the custodians. He asked me how I was doing and I replied with my typical, "Good. How are you?" His response surprised me.
"I'm having a great day," he said. "Everyday is great. It's a choice." Yes, it is, I thought, as I continued walking to my meeting.
I couldn't help but think how often I choose to have a great day. Maybe I should say how often I fail to make that choice. It's so easy to focus on the problems of the day. I can find myself absorbed with the stressors in my life, even waking up in the middle of the night worrying about the responsibilities on my plate, the tasks that must be accomplished, or the difficult decisions that have to be made. Those worries can rob me of my day. Sure, the hands on the clock still tick and the sun still rises and sets. The day goes on, but I miss out on its greatness.
I began thinking about my day today. Were there moments of greatness that I missed or simply failed to recognize? It was then that I realized there were many pockets of greatness tucked into my day: the positive conversation with a student, the laughter I shared with colleagues, sharing my burdens with a friend who listened and offered encouragement, and the compliments I received today. The list could go on. I then had to ask myself why I chose to focus today on the frustrations and the irritations that came my way instead of choosing to have a great day. I haven't quite answered that question yet, but I know I want to focus on choosing greatness rather than focusing on the stress and worry.
Problems will still come my way and I'm sure there will be other sleepless nights. It's nice to know, however, that I can still choose to have a great day. The custodian was right. It's a choice.
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