Life the Instruction Manual : Having a Good Day

Everyday !!!! I can hear you now, If you had my life, you wouldn't be so Perky. The only thing I can say is yes and it is going to get worse. You might say, Martin, that isn't very nice. Well, let me tell you why I said that. Each one of us, does have the power to have a good day or a bad day. See whether the day is good or bad, is based on each one of us to decide what kind of a day it is. What I mean is, if the world blew up in a nuclear blast that would qualify as a bad day for everyone. If that doesn't happen then it is all your choice whether it is a good day or a bad one. The choice is made out by your emotional mind. I have a very import experiment I want you to do now. First put your right index finger in your right ear. Then put your left index finger in your left ear. It's ok just lay the book on your lap. Next I want you to look straight ahead of you. Go ahead I will wait..... Ok, now keeping your fingers in your ears, what you see in front of you is NOT what determines a good or bad day. The thing that is located from your right index finger to your left index finger is.

Sorry that is the only way I can think of to get this point across, so you will be able to break the trend that all of us have. We come across problems in our life and we allow that one event to mess up an entire day. You and only you have total control over that event and the rest of the day. You can either decide that event, has made it a bad day, or you can respond to the problem and solve it, then if possible, or put it to the side for later. Once you have solved or set to the side your problem. You can go on with the rest of the day and forget that problem and decide that you are going to have a good day. I know, Martin, are you telling me you never have bad days. I can honestly say yes. Why, because I do have some bad events that happen from time to time, but that is just a bad event that happens in the course of a great day. I know, you are stretching it a bit, aren't you. Yes, by the most people standards, would say I am. But, most people I know are upset about stuff, 50 % of the time. I am not claiming to be a master of my emotions but, I am not a slave to them. In each of us there is the power to find a happy medium will allow us to feel emotions and not be controlled by them. I find a lot of the people I talk to, all the time, are spending all there time thinking of the bad things in there life. I say why dwell on them, Dwell, on the positive things about your life. I know, And what is so positive about my life. That fact that you are alive to ask that question is what I would say is the best reason of all, considering the alternative. As Zig Ziglar would say, "If you don't think days are not special, just try missing one." That to me sums it up well. Each one of us is alive, we have people that care for us depend on us, to be there. All of us forget that from time to time. I do not have bad day, just an occasional bad event, which I deal with the best I can and go on.


Martin, are you telling me that you don't get depressed. If I told you no, I would lie about other things as well. I have days where everything builds up and starts to get to me. What do I do, Well, your going to love it. Once I feel like everything is to much, I make a decision to be depressed. I tell myself ok, Martin apparently you what to be depressed so be depressed. I will give you till 11:00 to be depressed as you want. Then after that is over then you can smile and go on. This may sound silly but, it works. As a matter of fact 1/2 the time I do this I can't even be depressed till the time that I allowed myself. I tell this to people all the time, I am busy being depressed I will be over it at 11:00 and not a minute sooner because I have worked very hard for this depression and I intend on enjoying it. The next time depression sets in, try this method, and you will find yourself laughing about your depression. Now, don't get me wrong kronic depression is a different story. You will need help for that. You know there is nothing at all wrong with seeking some help with your emotional problems. That is being strong enough to admit you need the help. Well, I am strong enough, at one time in my teens I had to get help.


Lets talk about a day. With most of us is starts with the Alarm Clock going off and us hitting the snooze button. After we hit the snooze button we will lay in bed and what is the first thought that comes into our mine. God, is it morning already, I just went to sleep. That right there is enough of a thought to ruin most peoples day. Some that are a little better will at least get up in a good mood, but by the time we get our selves ready and think of all the work he have to do that day, will loose that good mood even before we get out the door. Well, don't worry if you make it out of bed and get all the way out the door and even to work there will always be someone at work that will set you off. Why, because he didn't even make it pass the bed part. Now you might ask how do I stay in a good mood. Well, that is simple, I just don't get into a bad one. This like a lot of things in life are simple but, not easy. I do something that I would like all of you to do for one week. If you will try this for a week you will see big changes in your life. First when the alarm clock sounds off, don't just lay in bed, get up. Spend a minute to think about your life and see all the good in it. Look out the window and see the sun shine, take a minute to listen to the birds sing. Remind yourself, you have a job, some people are waking up with no job, no money, no food. As you are going into your morning thing getting ready for work. Most of us take a shower. Showers are great in the morning because it start the day with a clean attitude. I think about the shower as cleaning all the dirt and bad thinking off of me, so I can start the day with a fresh attitude. Once I am done with my shower I get dress, and come down stairs. I get me a cup of coffee, and turn on the news. I usually watch the local morning news, they bring across some of the more cheerful stories. If their are stories about murders or deaths I turn it around by saying to myself. Now that is a guy that wished he had another beautiful day ahead of him. Well, he doesn't and that is sad, but, you do have another wonderful day to wake up to. Remember that each day, is wonderful. Life is really short and we must make each day count. That is the way I do it, each day I do as much as the day will let me. I spend time each day to bond with friends, and make new ones, and spend time with the ones that love me the most, my children.
For each of the people that die, in a course of a night and make the news the next morning, you owe it to yourself, to make each moment in life count. Once it is time for me to go, I wish each of the kids, with a smile, to have a great day at school. Then I leave for work in plenty of time to get there. I drive at a normal pace and get there a couple minutes early. I want to stop a minute to talk to you about car driving time to work. Little does everyone know your time spent in a car is empty time in life wasted. Most of us spend 1 to 2 hours a day in a car. That time is time that is wasted, that can be used in more productive ways. 

Here are some things to do during this time.

1. Join Automobile University, this is using the tape player in the car to learn 
things. Every week I plan what tapes I am going to listen to that night. Everyday on the way to and from work, I listen to tapes. Usually on Fridays I will on the way home listen to music on the radio. It is my present to myself for learning all week.

2. Plan your day at work. When you are all alone in the car it is a good time to yourself to think about what you are going to do and plan the order of them. When you plan your day and follow the plan, it will help you all you want done, more efficiently.

3. Plan your evening Home. This is just as important. A lot of us loose time parked in front of the TV all evening, and don't use that time to get things done. I am aware of this problem because I am one of the worse at doing this. I will get home and fall in my easy chair turn on the tube, and watch. Ask me the next day what I watched. I wouldn't even be able to tell you. Because, I have the habit of just sitting there and watching whether I am interested or not. How do you fix this, it is simple, when you are watching TV, if 
something comes on that you are not really interested in, go and do something else. I spend time at my computer. You will need to find something to take up your time extra time you are going to have.

4. Talk to yourself. You might say, that is crazy Martin. I don't talk to myself. Well tell me who is the one person that can help you through feelings and direction of life. That one person is yourself. Everyone needs to really get to know themselves. I have seen it time and time again that something earth shattering will happen in someone's life and the person will deal with it and later say, "I didn't know I had it in me. " I will talk a little more in my book about getting to know yourself.

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