Monday Motivation: Be Grateful You Can Dream
This article was originally published on November 25, 2019 at https://gritdaily.com/monday-motivation-grateful-to-dream/
Monday Motivation here we come! We see you – coffee cup in hand, trudging through the dark cursing your commute. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back! If you’re more of a podcast person versus someone who reads, listen to our Monday Matters content on Spotify. Check out our Grit Daily podcast channel.
This column is for those of you who slog through your Monday mornings. If you lament the end of the weekend and dread returning to the office, you may need our Monday Motivation quick tips. Studies show that your morning mood affects your productivity all day. And nobody wants to go through their day like an unmotivated, unproductive sourpuss, right?
Grit Daily offers an avenue to connect with others like you. We’re here to help get your work week off to a good start. Pump your fists – it’s time for Monday Motivation!
Be grateful, for what?
I hear you. The holidays are upon us and you can be “in a mood” over all the commercial nonsense. All the stores have been playing Xmas music since Halloween. Every store display screams “deck the halls” and the Salvation Army Santa is outside by the kettle ringing that incessant bell. You lost your job, money is tight and the Xmas list expectations are ridic (don’t worry, we’ll feature a Monday motivation holiday survival guide in a couple of weeks).
Thanksgiving is about being thankful. I’m thankful for so much, especially that I can dream and be here to chase my dream.
But first, you have to get through Thanksgiving. Maybe you’re not that excited about having to fight the traffic, suffer the fool who doesn’t know how to go through an airport scanner, schlep from here to wherever to go see your family, inlaws, weird uncle and your brother’s annoying and selfish girlfriend. Maybe.
Or maybe you’re someone who desperately wishes that they could be invited to a table to be surrounded by people, annoying or otherwise?
Let that sink in for a moment.
Hold onto your dreams
In all honesty, I can’t say that I’m “living the dream” and that life is a bowl of cherries. Most of it is awesome, much of it is good, parts of it could be better and there is only one part of it that sucks. I’ll take it. That’s a damn good scorecard.
Like everyone else, I’ve got my crap to deal with, too. Some of which keeps me awake at night. And I have to work really hard to not let it own me, invade my heart and steal my joy.
But it does sometimes. There’s a lot that I’m working towards and pushing myself to get through. How’s that for some Monday motivation?
That said, I’ve fought tough battles before. And won. So I know that I can keep working towards my dreams versus fighting for them. There’s a big difference here.
I’ve learned what’s worth battling (ie. cancer) versus what you have to invest time and effort in to make happen. Dreams fall into that latter category. It shouldn’t be a bloody battle that you have to fight for kicking and screaming all the way. Sure, it will take work, patience, perseverance and extreme fortitude, but it shouldn’t destroy you or others in the process of making them real. That’s not a dream worth dreaming, IMHO.
I’m lucky that I’m here on this planet and have the luxury of being able to dream and that I’m not fighting for my survival. And I’m deeply grateful for all that I do have. I’m living and mostly loving life, and, with each day that goes by, I’m tracking closer towards my dreams.
We’re lucky that we can dream
The Monday motivation cover photo that I selected perfectly illustrates today’s theme. It’s not about practicing gratitude – it’s bigger than that. This week’s Monday motivation theme is being grateful for having the opportunity to dream. If you’re reading this article, you’re intelligent, curious, working on self-improvement, likely reading it from your smartwatch or smartphone, and holding a steaming cup of coffee in your other hand.
That’s not so bad. Many people in the world begin and end their days fighting for their survival. That’s not us. We’re lucky.
“Believing in your dreams is the only way to reach your true destination.” ~unknown
I can have chocolate any time that I want, so long as I don’t have more than one or two bites as I can’t metabolize it. But I can still taste it! Each week, I treat myself to a bouquet of fresh flowers so that I can be reminded of nature’s beauty in my kitchen, where I spend all my time cooking for my partner, his two kids and our two dogs who seem to like roasted chicken more than they like kibbles. My stepson works at a Starbucks reserve shop so he gets to buy beans before the rest of us can.
Awesome. That means we have easy access to a great cup of coffee which fuels my writing each morning that I sit down at my desk to hone my craft. Life’s good. I’m grateful.
As I write my Monday motivation column with creative juices flowing, I also think about my dreams and how they somehow got derailed. Then I close my laptop and ask myself if I’m doing everything that I can to bring them back?
Yes.
Yes, I am. It’s been a long road, I took a detour (or three) but I’m back on the path.
Tips to be inspired by your dreams again
If you’ve lost perspective on what really matters, no, you don’t need to turn on the news and read about the latest refugee crisis or chaos in Hong Kong to draw a comparison. You only need to look at yourself. What is your path? What did you envision your path to be? And what steps are you taking to make forward progress down your path? That’s what Monday motivation is all about (did you hear that “about” with my Canadian accent or with the voice robot that reads our columns?!).
Let your dreams resurface and begin chasing them again.
#1 – remind yourself to dream
As your head touches the pillow, think about how lucky you are to have a soft pillow and a warm bed. These are the perfect conditions to inspire dreams. Close your eyes and think about what you’re dreaming of and drift off to sleep charting a path to make your dreams come true.
#2 – wake up and assess your dreams
Personally, I don’t dream at night (at least I don’t think that I do regularly as there are only a handful of times that I ever remember dreaming). So I’m not really talking about those kinds of dreams. But I do like to wake up and think about the dream I’m chasing and remind myself how lucky I am that I get one more day to chase it. Then I ask myself, what am I going to do today that puts me one step closer to making my dream real?
#3 – don’t impose restrictions on your dream
There will be plenty of unexpected obstacles thrown into your path to derail your dream. You certainly don’t need to be the one putting up the barriers. Let it go. Dare to dream. And say it outloud, what is your dream? Say it LOUDER! What is it? What are you doing to chase it?
That’s a wrap for Monday motivation. As you’re commuting or waiting in line for your coffee, don’t be mindless about it. Think about how lucky you are that you have the capacity and ability to dream. Then start asking yourself what you’re dreaming about and which steps you’re taking to make your dreams come true.
It’s Monday, have a great rest of your week and thank you for reading! Xoxo
Today’s stunning photo comes from: www.instagram.com/brigittetohm