Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Dear Friend, Here is the Silver Lining.

Hello,
My name is Lydia. I am messy, emotional, of questionable sanity and I occasionally find myself hilarious. I also do this terrible thing that people do sometimes and I focus on the bad things. I pretend my life is a music video for Daniel Powter's 'Bad Day' and then I go home and eat my feelings. It's an awfully self indulgent habit and I've decided it must go. You see, I've had an idea. The kind of idea that might just change my life. The kind of idea that might just change yours.

I don't know you. I don't know which street you grew up on or who you got your smile from. I don't know how you feel about mornings or the comeback of the boyband. I don't know your battles or your victories. I don't know you.

However, I do know that if you're reading this you are a living, breathing human being. Because of this astounding information I know you've seen bad days. You've most likely tripped on your own feet, been late to something important, poured juice instead of milk into your cereal, walked around with your skirt tucked into your knickers or your shirt sticking out of your fly, forgotten your mothers birthday or your keys. You've known heartache and grief, anger and frustration, love and it's other hand loss.

Here's where my idea comes in:

I've decided to get back up when I trip over my own feet. To leave 15 minutes early for my important somethings, to put an extra clear label on my milk, to pull skirt completely before facing the public, set a reminder a week before mum's birthday, and keep my keys in my handbag. To not lose hope by heartache or grief, anger or frustration, love or loss, but to find it in finding a way through the madness. That's right my friend, I've decided to learn. I'm determined to love each day. I'm determined to find life's lessons and be grateful for them before my head hits the pillow every night. I'm determined to change the way I think and see the world.

So join me. Here is where you and I begin (consider this the moment our eyes meet and sparks fly) You and I are about to embark on a trek of 217 days. 217 days of finding the silver linings in the clouds of day to day life. Get your skates on, pack your backpack, and insert any other cheesy trekking related metaphors that tickle your fancy. I, Lydia, vow to post once a day something I am grateful to have discovered about life until Thanksgiving. Why thanksgiving? Well my little cyber pal, why not? It's the perfect timeframe, challenging but not out of reach and at the end of my time I will be able to sit down and be thankful for 217 lessons along the way.

Let's make something magnificent of our off days. Let's start learning from one another's mistakes and being thankful for our opportunities to grow. Let's do this together. Maybe it's just writing something little down everyday that you are grateful to have learnt. Maybe it's simply sharing it with a friend or maybe it's standing in your local town square with a megaphone announcing it to all. I don't know what shape or form this challenge might take in your life but I know that if you do this with me, we might be able to rid ourselves of our self indulgent woe-is-me mindsets.

I won't promise constantly correct grammar or impeccable writing. Nor will I promise profound discoveries for every minute of my existence. I will however promise you honesty and heart. I will promise to tell you the big and the small, the minor and the major, the insignificant and the pivotal. I promise that by the end of this, you and I are going to be mighty well acquainted, just call me your new bestie (bffl, soul-sister, home-girl etc.)

Dear Friend, here is the silver lining.

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