Finding Hope When Life Feels Heavy: What to Do When Some Days Ain't Good Days

The positive here is this doesn't mean that you're broken.

It simply means that you're normal.

Today, I'm not here to pretend that I've got all the answers, that I can make things all better on those bad days.

But instead, I want to think of today's episode as just a heart-to-heart, a conversation between me and you to help you get through those hard days.

Because the biggest thing that I want you to know is that it's just one day.

Don't let one bad day turn into a bad week.

It's just one day.

And I think me and you both know that we can get through just one bad day.

Today is episode 407 of Grace and Inspiration.

I am your host as well as an inspirational public speaker, Kevin Lowe and my friend.

It is my joy, my honor, my pleasure to have you here with me today.

So if you're ready, let's go ahead and dive in.

We'll roll that quick intro and we'll get right into today's episode.

Yeah, I got great grace and inspiration on my mind.

The topic for today's episode was born out of life's most simple truth.

Even when you're doing everything right, there will still be days that just don't go right.

I've had those days.

You've had those days.

We've all had those days.

And matter of fact, it was one of these days that inspired me to turn my feelings into today's episode.

For me, it was one of those days when I knew I wasn't feeling the best.

And so I tried to do everything right.

I was listening to the motivational podcast.

I was reading the inspirational books.

I was doing the gratitude exercises.

And yes, I even made that perfect green smoothie.

And still, I felt off.

I wasn't myself.

I just felt down.

I felt depressed.

I felt discouraged.

And I couldn't help but feel like everything I'd been working for was for nothing.

It was one of those days where your mental health, it just gets the better of you.

And even though you know it's not true, your mind starts playing tricks on you.

It has you believing things that you know aren't true.

And yet in that moment, they feel so real.

Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel off, unmotivated, you're discouraged, you just feel a little bit depressed.

It's kind of like that feeling where life seems like it's in slow motion.

Like the day will never end.

And you can't do anything to escape it.

Well, my friend, I was there.

As I said, that's what inspired me to get on the microphone today and record today's episode, was because I had one of these recent days.

And I'm sure you've had them too.

Unfortunately, they're just a part of life.

But the most important thing that I had to continue to remind myself is this thing that I want you to remember most of all from today's episode.

Is it's just one day.

It's just one bad day.

And the fact is simple is that one bad day, it doesn't undo your growth.

One bad day doesn't mean that everything you've been working towards is suddenly useless.

It doesn't mean that your dreams are no longer valid.

It doesn't mean that everything that you've been working towards is for nothing, because it's just one bad day.

Before I continue, I want to tell you that if you are in the midst of this feeling, feeling discouraged, in the midst of one of these bad days, and you really would love something more to listen to, well, I actually created a song on this same exact topic.

Matter of fact, the title of the song is called Some Days Ain't Good Days.

And I've left a link to that song at the top of today's show notes.

Now, trust me, I am not a singer.

I am not a musician.

I'm just a guy who found a way to use my own creative writing skills paired with today's leading technology to turn words into music.

And so, like I said, if you could use a song to go along with how you're feeling, just scroll down, tap the little button, whatever it says on the app you're listening to the today's podcast, to access the show description, the podcast show notes, whatever it might say, click the little button, and there's a link right at the very top.

It's literally the first line you see is a link that you can click where you can listen to the song that I've created.

A song that I hope can take what I'm talking about in today's episode, maybe to the next level.

Because I get it, you're not going to want to listen to me on repeat, but that song, you might just like it enough and connect with it enough that it becomes your own little personal motto to turn to when the days aren't so good.

So again, check out the link at the top of today's show notes.

Now, on this topic of some days ain't good days, I do want to give you a little bit of hope.

I've obviously told you the most important thing is to remind yourself that it's just one bad day.

And this day shall pass.

But I also want to give you another thing to think about.

And that is the gift that we are all given every single day.

Every single morning, when you and me wake up, we're handed a gift.

Now, maybe you've not thought of it as a gift before.

Maybe you've not even paid any attention to it, but it's the sunrise.

Because every morning, when the sun crests the horizon, when the first rays of sunlight start to break through, we've all just been given a gift.

The chance at a new start, the chance of a fresh new day.

It's literally nature's way of telling us hey, the darkness is gone.

The light has broken through the darkness.

It's a new day, a new opportunity.

And what happened yesterday, how you felt in the night, no longer has to hold you, no longer has to consume you.

You are free because it's a new day.

It's the morning sunlight.

It's the sunrise, signaling a chance for us all to start fresh.

So if you're in this day, or maybe even you've been in a season of life where things just aren't good, my friend, I want you to remember about the sunrise.

It's literally been there telling you every single morning that you have the choice to make today, to make today better.

Because the sunrise, it's broken through the horizon, the darkness has lifted, and the light is shining.

Now, here's the other thing that I want you to know in regards to this topic is that maybe you've been in a day, maybe it's been a season where you haven't been so good, where things haven't been right.

You've not been in the right headspace, you've been struggling mentally, physically.

It's all just felt like it's kind of unwinding.

Like everything you've been working for is for nothing.

Well, one thing I want you to be reminded of is that it's okay to sometimes not be okay.

It's a part of life, it's part of being human.

And in these times, it's okay for you to take a pause, to take a breather, to just stop and focus on you.

Because the fact is that you don't always have to be climbing.

You don't always have to have goals that you're pursuing.

You don't always have to be chasing after something.

Sometimes you just need to sit where you are.

Sometimes the best thing you can do, the most courageous thing you can do is to just be, to be still.

Now, I'm not going to say that that is the easiest thing to do, but sometimes when life just isn't working out, when things seem to be falling apart, when you're struggling, I just want you to be reminded that it's okay, that there's nothing wrong with you, that it's going to pass, even if it seems like it's lasting forever.

I promise you that there is hope for a better day.

And that single word, hope.

Well, that's what I want to talk about next, is the power of hope.

Not too many episodes ago, I interviewed a man named Damon West.

One of the most amazing conversations I've ever had here on this podcast.

And during our interview, Damon quoted the closing lines of the movie Shawshank Redemption.

And in that, he explained to us that the real message of that movie was the power of hope.

And so as he quoted the lines from the movie, he reminded us of the power of hope.

As Damon recited the lines from the movie, I hope I can make it across the border.

I hope to see my friend and shake his hand.

I hope the ocean is as blue as it was in my dreams.

I hope.

Especially in the midst of a bad day, those two words might just be the most powerful two words that you can hold on to.

I hope.

When you choose hope, you choose life.

When you choose hope, you choose your future.

When you choose hope, you choose you.

And in the midst of a bad day, my friend, that is what is most important, is that you choose you.

So as I close out today, I want to have you take action.

So before you turn off the episode, I want you to listen to this because I want to give you an action item.

I want to give you something to do that's gonna help you move out of this bad day.

Because my friend, the fact is true is that if you're anything like me, I don't like feeling sad.

I don't like being depressed.

It's not me.

I hate it.

And I want to get out of it as fast as I can.

And so I want to do the same for you.

My action item is that tomorrow morning, when you wake up, I want you to walk outside.

Even if it's just for a minute, I want you to walk outside when the sun is rising.

Now, you don't have to get dressed.

I just want you to walk out.

Honestly, it's best if you're in your bare feet.

And I want you to step into your grass in the yard.

And I want you to face towards the rising sun.

And I want you to feel the rays of sunlight beaming over the horizon.

I want you to watch as the streams of sunlight pierce through the clouds.

I want you to feel that sunrise.

And I want you to be reminded that a fresh new day has begun.

And especially if you don't want to do this, especially if you think this is silly and kind of stupid, well, then my friend, that means you need to do this exercise more than anyone else.

Because if you think you don't need it, that's a clear sign that you do.

We all need a reminder of a fresh new beginning.

And there's nothing like the morning rays of sunlight to remind us that a new day has begun.

My friend, if there is ever anything that I can do for you, to literally just be somebody that you can talk to because maybe you've been struggling and you could use some encouragement.

You literally could just use a shoulder to lean on.

I want you to reach out to me.

My contact information is inside of today's show notes.

It's also available on my website, gritgraceinspiration.com.

Again, that is gritgraceinspiration.com.

Please reach out to me.

I am here for you.

I want to be here for you to help you however I can.

And with that, my friend, I hope today's episode spoke to you.

I hope that something I said is gonna help you get out of that bad day.

Because, my friend, the more good days that me and you can have, the better off life will be.

Until next time, I'm your host, Kevin Lowe.

And of course, this was another episode of Grit, Grace, and Inspiration.

I've got grit, grace, and inspiration on my mind.