You ever have one of those days?

Yesterday was like that for me. One little trigger, and I couldn’t shake the underlying, slow-burning grumpiness that worked its little fingers into everything I was doing.

I had what felt like great plans to work, spend some time with my children, and then have a night of family fun. But then a guy who was doing some work on our house, a really nice man, needed some help, and four hours disappeared… at least that was my perspective.

Then I noticed how my daughter wasn’t prioritizing work or family.

Then I noticed how my son was blocking every request either parent made for some help.

Then I noticed how this lovely man hadn’t brought all of the things we needed in order to do the job.

Then I noticed how my wife felt badly about the lack of support.

My entire mentality switched from one of abundance to one of lack.

Luckily, although it is more related to practice than luck, I watched my mind succumbing to this habituated pattern and was able to laugh about it by the end of the night. In fact, the whole family ended up laughing about the roles we all played in it.

I am so grateful that I don’t take myself too seriously, and that the humour can surface pretty quickly.

Now, I could look at those grumpy hours as wasted time or energy, but that brings me right back to the lack mentality. Instead, I remind myself that it was an excellent opportunity to practice recognizing my triggers, practice routes out of grumpiness, connect authentically with my family, and laugh at my follies.

What opportunities can you create when you have one of those days?