Pain, disappointment, adversity, heartbreak, crap. We have all been there, maybe you are facing something tough right now. Yet every time it hits, we feel completely shocked, helpless, and even angry. I was definitely a helpless and angry victim in the past. I had no idea the amount of power my mind held to change my life INSTANTLY. Today I want to share with you a very recent example of how I found joy in the midst of crap…literally!
It started with my dog. I woke to discover that she did not digest the broth bones I had given her the night before, so she politely returned them to us all over our rug…all over our ENTIRE rug.
As I proceeded to deep clean the rug, I heard the beeping of our door opening. NASH!! It was pouring rain and freezing outside, so I said a quick prayer that he would notice and return, but no such luck. Because I just had knee surgery, I slowly hobbled outside and found Nash perched on the tip top of the jungle gym. He beamed down at me. He was covered in mud and soaking wet. Clean up number two ensued.
Fast forward to the evening. Mitch doesn’t get home until 11pm on Biz Owners Ed. nights, so my goal is always to do a very efficient dinner and bedtime routine. In the middle of dinner, Nash pooped. I cleaned him up and immediately realized we were out of diapers downstairs. My knee was throbbing, so I unwisely decided to throw his pants back on until we finished. What a sad choice that was….
As I started on our dishes, I felt that panic every mom feels when she realizes she has been enjoying random silence. Yikes…Nash had vanished. Guess where I found him?! Playing in the toilet bowl upstairs. It was full of unflushed boy pee:( As I began to wash Nash’s hands and arms I got an unfortunate whiff. You guessed it….he had pooped yet again….without a diaper. Why do babies have a rebound poop?!
What ensued was a disgusting scenario of me pulling his poop covered onesie over his body and smearing it everywhere. I will stop the story right there and end it with this…..crap happens. Here are 3 things you can do to find the joy in the midst of the crap!
3 Ways to Find Joy in the Midst of Crap
- Change your thoughts right now to this: The world is happening FOR you and not TO you!! Seeing the world as a place where stuff is happening to you immediately puts you in a victim mentality. Focus instead on how life is happening FOR you and your mind instantly changes to a grateful state. For example, Nash pooping without a diaper reminded me that I am blessed to have clean water to wash with.
- LAUGH!!! Laughter is the best medicine! Laughter is the last thing I feel like doing when I’m going through crap, I keep a laughter storage box in my brain armed with hilarious things. A Pinterest board, funny memories with my kids, hysterical shows we watch. Get your laughter box set up now, so that you are ready to laugh when crap arises!
- Try the 90 second rule from Tony Robbins. As soon as you notice negativity, STOP! Take slow deep breaths, and think of what you are grateful for. If you can’t think of anything, go to the basics. For example, your feet give you the ability to stand up on your own and move independently. This 90 second reset is enough for me to get out of my pity party and into a grateful zone.
I hope you feel inspired to try these tips the next time you need to find joy in the midst of crap. The world will continue to throw us adversity and pain. It is up to you if you choose to let it grow you or if you let it destroy you. Choose to find the joy guys!
Aubree
*Photo credit Kelly White Photography
