I hope you’re having a great day!  I sure am!!  …….

That is what I’ve conditioned myself to saying to folks.  I believe in being optimistic and try to always be happy.  I think happiness is the best way to be.  I don’t like being sad.

The truth is, however, I’m not ALWAYS happy.  I have bad days.  I have sad days. Today is one of them.  It is not my nature to admit when I’m having a sad day, and I usually try to push away the sadness by getting focused on my work.

I’m starting to learn that it is OK to have some sad days, and it is actually healthy to recognize a sad day, to admit to having a sad day, and to forgive myself and be OK in working through it.

A close friend told me today that no one has only happy days.  He saw that I was trying to beat myself up for having a sad day, and I appreciate that he corrected me. He is so right, and I thank him for reminding me to be easy on myself when the blues are settling in.

If you’ve ever gone through the Enneagram personality profile, then you’ll recognize when I share that I am a Type 7 – also called “The Enthusiast.”  (If you haven’t experienced the Enneagram, then I highly recommend you check it out.  A great resource is a book called “The Wisdom of the Enneagram.”)  “Enthusiasts” are people who have a great drive for excitement in life, and that description fits me perfectly.  On the flip side, however, “Type 7 – Enthusiasts” will do almost anything to avoid pain. This includes the pain of just being in a sad mood, in a bad day.

The healthy thing is to be OK with a sad day, or a few sad days, relax and slow down through the process of observation and coming to terms with whatever is going on, and then gently, patiently returning to the full-blown happy person that always ultimately returns.

My goal today is to accept my sad-ness, knowing that it won’t be long before I’m back on top, living my exceptional life.

Please let me know your approach to handling those days when things are in the dumps.  I’d love to hear from you.

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