This week’s Monday motivation is going to be a little bit different. I like to start the week with some inspirational words and I like to think that they might give someone a boost. This week, however, I’ve found it very difficult to come up with a positive message. I’ve experienced some difficulties, challenges and loss in the last 24-hours and I don’t feel like stringing together some “everything is going to be okay” words. Upon reflection, I realized that this should be the topic for Monday Motivation. Sometimes things aren’t okay and that’s okay.

I want to take this moment to speak to those who feel hopeless, trapped, scared, depressed, sad or just not happy. I want to remind you that it’s okay to not be perfect and that no one is perfectly happy all the time. I started writing this from bed after the two hours of sleep my mind would allow me before thrusting me back into existential dread. I kept trying to tune out and force myself back to sleep. It was not meant to be.

I determined that rather than fighting with myself, I need to let myself go through the low points and stop trying to build them up into something they are not. When you give yourself permission to be unhappy sometimes, it’s easier to get through it and find the light at the end of the tunnel. So, I do have some words of motivation after all. If my words have any power, I hope that they might encourage you to allow yourself the freedom to have a bad day. I hope that you can give yourself the freedom to let go of the reins when things go awry and ride the turbulent seas without worrying about where you will land.

One of the best pieces of wisdom I received from lightly studying Buddhism was the following advice: when things are bad, know that they will not always be bad. When things are good, know that they won’t always be good. When you know that life is constantly changing, you don’t have to fear the bad or cling to the good because it’s all part of a circle that keeps coming around.

If you are going through struggles right now, remember that your present location is not your final destination.

Thanks for reading, and check back every Monday for some fresh motivation to start your week.