Waiting on the Weekend

Why is it we spend our weeks, our days, our moments waiting for the weekend, friend?

It has stuck with me how many times Friday arrives and the people around me take a deep sigh of relief, saying;

“Aren’t you glad it’s the weekend?”

Yes, friend, of course, I am glad it’s the weekend, but I am also thankful for all the other days.

Every day has the potential to be a good day.

You see, friend, it’s all about our mentality and the way we choose to live and see each day.

Most of our lives will be spent working.

Let me break that down for you, friend.

If we live for 80 years, we will spend 13 years 2 months, and 4821 days at work.

I, for one, don’t want to spend over 13 years of my life spent in anticipation of something else.

So, how can we turn those 13 years, 2 months, and 4821 days into joy?

In response to this question, I can’t help but think of the things that help me to live my most optimal life.

If I base my daily happiness on the desire to live on a deserted tropical island I am going to be woefully disappointed.

Instead, I want to shift my perspective to see and appreciate all the small moments all around me.

The shared smile with a stranger as we jockey for the door.

That feeling of accomplishment after a workout.

A rainbow was sighted after a downpour.

Trying a new recipe and seeing the pleasure on the faces of your family.

A thank you for a job well done.

Crossing something off your to-do list.

Hearing from a friend in the middle of the day.

There are so many moments that go unnoticed or unappreciated because they seem insignificant, or we take them for granted.

Real life happens in small moments that we can treasure and savor.

These small moments have the risk of passing us by without notice if we are always waiting on the next big thing to come and provide us with inner peace, contentment, or joy.

It’s the small things that have the opportunity to matter the most if we take the time to stop and see them.

In a world in which many people, including myself, get caught up in living for the weekend – for the break, the rest, the space to breathe with reduced responsibility and obligations – I want to find more joy in the daily routine.

I can’t help but think that part of this, along with celebrating the small moments, has to involve the ability to make space for peace.

In letting go of worrying about the future and agonizing over the past, in order to be in the present and let go of the weight that threatens to press down upon you.

The weight of all the self-imposed expectations and obligations needs to be released.

Maybe I’m just speaking for myself, as a way of letting go of the stresses that I have a tendency to hold onto and also appreciate the small things that daily exist around me and are a source of joy.

I always hope, though, that by sharing my fears, my struggles, and all the ways in which I’m growing, learning, and evolving that others can not only join, but support me.

For now, it’s in this idea of refusing to just live for the weekend.

Always,

Your Trusted Friend ❤︎