Another Epiphany…

Epiphany defined: 3(a)(3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure. Merriam Webster online

I’ve been establishing new habits by setting triggers or reminders in my phone to help me to remember who it is that I want to be. Every morning reminders pop off on my phone, every 30 minutes or so. Questions like, “What objective will you complete today to get you closer to your goals?” and affirmations along the lines of, “I am worth the effort. I deserve to succeed. I am really good at creating quality things.”

One of these reminders has been challenging… because of my limiting thoughts.

This particular reminder – which has been going off since September or so, is this: “What can I get excited or be enthusiastic about TODAY?” Every day since September I’ve read this question, this reminder to be enthusiastic, to get excited about something, and I’ve stalled. Until today.

First of all, for context… try it. Pick something you feel you can be enthusiastic or excited about for today. Try this exercise every day. Some of you may be quicker than I was. I say quicker because for me it’s taken 5 months for me to learn the answer to this question. The answer for me.

See, this morning I woke up and while I stretched (that first stretch of the day, under the warm covers – hands pressed against the wall or headboard, if you have one, and toes pointed toward the opposite wall, reaching toward it), and the question popped into my head (it’s automatic now after 5 months of that phone reminder).

“What can I get excited or be enthusiastic about TODAY?”

And for a brief second, I started to think of all the goals and tasks and shit that I would like to get done and what ONE thing is the most important to focus on today (this is where the limiting came in). Suddenly, however, this morning one very clear thought pushed out the shuffling, the indecision, the task of choosing… the thought – the ANSWER to my question was this:

EVERYTHING.

Be enthusiastic and excited about EVERYTHING! Not in a fake, cheerleaders, in your face, psycho way (I’ve heard it put like that a few times during this past year), but in a genuine, grateful to be alive with a world of opportunities before me kind of way.

BE ENTHUSIASTIC AND EXCITED ABOUT EVERYTHING!

The smile that stretched across my face almost hurt. I got out of bed, excited to face a day full of possibilities. I was enthusiastic about how I greeted my hungry feline. I was excited about what my daily readings might hold in store for me. I was looking forward to the morning catch-up with my husband. And as I shared this epiphany with him, I realized I was excited to share it with you all.

I am grateful for this day. As my dad has told me since I was a teenager: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” And my mother once told me, “Don’t take it all so seriously. You never get out alive.”

To wrap this up, allow me to offer this as a challenge to my assumption of your thoughts on this matter: The alternative to my epiphany is to approach today with hesitation or fear, with apprehension or indecision. I’ve spent hundreds of hours of my life hesitating to take action because “What If…” it’s the wrong action? Ahhhhhh!

So what if it is.

First of all, it’s action – take action with enthusiasm. (Let me add that when I refer to taking action, I mean take action in a way that serves the bettering of your circumstances. Enthusiastic armed robbery or binge drinking is not what I’m suggesting here). And if it turns out to be the wrong action, well… make note of it and don’t do THAT again. Tweak the action and try again in a different way (think Thomas Edison). But do everything with excitement and enthusiasm.

I have a really good feeling about this: I think my outlook on life just changed for the better. Again.