I've Got a New Mind, Baby!

I have had the most ridiculous of days. Period.

This morning while searching for my water bottle I wandered out to my car in to see if I'd left it there. And this is what I found outside:

That my friends is the space where I parked my beloved Camry last night. And this morning...it was gone. Let me tell you my greatest fear next to someone running into my beauty of a car has been that someone would decide to steal my car. I never had this fear with the Lancer mostly because, well, no one wants to steal a busted hoopty of a 10-year-old car. Saturday I was taking a nap when I heard that little beep my car makes when I hit the keyless entry button. I leapt from my bed and groggily ran downstairs to be sure my ride was still there. Talk about paranoia.

But alas, my car was no stolen. Instead it was towed because for whatever reason I was not issued a parking permit and...sigh...it's just gone for now. 

A few months ago, maybe even last month, this incident would have sent me into a tailspin of tears and self-doubt and a swirl of feelings of incompetence. I used to like to bully myself over stuff like this. I tend to over-think situations, especially ones in which any blame could be placed on my shoulders. And after I've thought the thing to death, I've been known to turn on myself and spew the most hateful insults...at me. 

Today was different. Today, I realized that stuff like this happens and that none of it matters in the grand scheme of this thing we do everyday called life. This is super-good mostly because it is part of one of my New Year's Resolutions (more on that later). 

In about two weeks I won't even remember that I spent this (beautiful) day off of work. On a larger scale, when I'm laying on my deathbed no one will harken back to that day my car got towed from under my nose while I slept. And if it's not worth remembering when that day comes, it's not worth crying over now.

There is just something about being kind to yourself that makes you feel more special than any compliment you could get from anyone else! This may not come as a surprise to some folks, but as a recovering self-hater I am thankful for the peace I've gained from this day and I can't wait to spread it through every other big and small snafu I encounter. The renewal of your mind is an awesome gift folks - take it whenever you can!