How to Have the Best Day Ever — Again and Again
The difference between meeting your hero vs becoming a hero
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
The more I pursue writing, the more I get involved in this world that fueled me as a child. As someone obsessed with stories, I have admired many great writers as I devoured their words.
Just over 2 years ago, I was able to meet a writer that I had admired for many years and in many ways, had become a hero to me. Not only were his stories entertaining, emotionally impactful, and profound, but every single one he had written has been on the New York Times bestseller list.
This includes his very first book, which was self-published in the days before Amazon.
In addition to his writing and accomplishments, he had founded an international charity for children.
On top of that, like me, Richard Paul Evans has Tourette Syndrome.
Having admired him for so many years, I was in awe that I not only got to meet my hero but spend 2 days with a small group learning the skills of the trade from him.
Best. Weekend. Ever.
That was 2 years ago though. And as great of an experience as it was to meet my long-time hero, life continues on. I wound up in a marketing job for a couple of years, writing on the side. There were good days, there were rough days. Lots of rough days.
It’s not every day someone gets to meet their hero, but I certainly missed having that same excitement that I felt during that in-depth training.
I made a decision that has affected every day of my life since. There are certainly still rough days, but there are many, many more good days.
Have a Clear Purpose Every Day
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
It doesn’t matter what you do, so much as why you do it. I may be a writer, but looking at the 2 years I spent in the marketing field, I am incredibly grateful for the things I learned that will help me to be a better writer.
Once I made a decision to have a purpose every day, I started looking for one thing I could learn to become better. A better marketer or a better writer while at work.
A better sister, daughter, cousin and friend when not at work.
I started looking for ways to help people around me. I didn’t have to know them. Just what they needed and be able to fill that need.
I starting setting one goal per day that helped me to accomplish a larger goal. This one, in particular, made the biggest difference in how I viewed my days. Doing this meant that I was making progress every day towards some bigger and more meaningful purpose.
Whether that goal was to create an outline for my next book, make progress on a quilt I’m working on, calling my sister, or practicing a song for a performance, I could feel accomplished knowing I did my one important thing.
When you have a purpose to every day, fulfilling that purpose suddenly becomes much more important than anything else that can happen to you. The bad days are usually because I didn’t fulfill that purpose for some reason or another.
Get a Confidence Boost
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”
— Mark Twain
Each time I am able to accomplish something, no matter how big or small it is, it gives me a little bit more confidence in what I am doing.
One of the most life-changing things I’ve ever learned gave me an entirely new perspective on getting things done.
Very often, we tell ourselves we are going to do something… wake up earlier, eat healthily, stand up to your boss or co-worker, etc. and then never complete this one thing. When we do that, we are essentially lying to ourselves. the more we lie to ourselves, the less we trust ourselves and our ability to do things we say we want to do.
When we actually set a goal to do even just one thing we normally wouldn’t do and do that one thing, we are establishing trust with ourselves. Our thought process changes from, “Pfft, I could never do that,” to, “Maybe…”
From maybe, we continue to gain confidence in our ability to do more than we have done in the past.
It doesn’t matter what that one thing is, we slowly gain trust and therefore confidence in the things we do.
Celebrate the Gain
“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.”
—Confucius
Don’t go thinking this is just one more way to get overwhelmed and exhausted. That isn’t what this is about.
It’s more about celebrating the milestones and the steps you are taking.
There have been times where my one thing might be calling my mom or going to the mailbox. Somedays, my one goal for the day is just to shower.
Life is difficult. It likes to throw obstacles in the way. BUT, doing that one thing makes all the difference. It gives me a sense of completion and if nothing else gets done, I know I have done what is most important.
You can say at the end of the day, “I won. I did that thing that was most important.”
And you get to do a little victory dance in your head. Or your living room. You pick.
Be sure to celebrate the little steps. As Benjamin Hardy, PhD has said, “Measure the gain, not the gap.”
Don’t be hard on yourself if that one thing doesn’t get done. You get to start fresh tomorrow.
Make a Difference
“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it”
― Buddha
As we work towards a greater purpose and gain confidence in ourselves, we start to see the world differently.
Rather than simply talking about problems, we want to become a part of the solution.
It may start with one thing per day, but when we focus on the right thing, it grows. It allows you to become more than you ever realized.
You can and will make an impact.
You will start getting comments from others, saying thank you for the difference you have made. This may be in a neighborhood, this may be on a global scale. No one really knows, not even you.
But I’m fairly certain it’s more than you ever thought it would be.
Each person has a distinct, unique purpose. No man can go through life completely alone. You need others and others need you. It’s as simple as that.
This is the driving purpose that I mentioned in the first section. Starting small with just one thing per day will give you something to grow with and into.
Conclusion
Meeting my hero was an experience I’ll never forget. In fact, I have been blessed to now even call my hero a friend.
But looking back on one experience is very different from looking forward to multiple events where I can become my own hero. And maybe, just maybe, even a hero to others as well.
I would love to see where you end up, wouldn’t you?
Now What?
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