This is what I am up to today.
I don’t choose to set myself up to be displeased in my day to day life.
Last week, I was on my way to Trapani, Sicily from Marsala, Sicily, where I was to wait for 3 hours until I took a bus to the Palermo International Airport. From there I would embark on a couple of flights to get me to my next location. During the ride, I paused and thought, hmmm I wonder what my flight and lay over times are?
I didn’t remember them outright, as I am usually just focused on the initial departure time and the final destination landing time.
I give little thought to what happens in between after it is booked. I knew for this one I was flying overnight and with a layover. For an overnight, redeye flight, a layover is not ideal and the flights were not to be terribly long either. Obviously, when flying during the night you expect to make the flight be your sleeping time. So, if you are going to take one 6 hours or more is ideal for most travelers.
As I pondered my travel times and searched for my full itinerary, I told myself it really doesn’t matter. It is what it is. This is what I am up to today or tonight, rather. Whatever the times are is what they are.
I could look at it as ugh! What will I do with all that time while I am waiting for the bus? I am going to have to cart my luggage around with me, too? Ugh! I have an overnight flight with a layover! And the flights are barely even enough for a nap. Ugh! The airline doesn’t assign seats until check in? Ugh. I better not get stuck with a middle seat.
If you want to, you can bitch and complain about every little thing. I see some people in life that do just this. There life seems to be a full-time sport of bitching and complaining, of pick, pick, picking apart everything they can. Personally, I don’t find much use in that. Getting into an ugh state of mind will not make my travels (my life) any quicker, any easier, any better at all. So, instead I embrace what I am up to each day, whether it be laying on a beach, working a 22 hour day, or getting little to no sleep in a sitting up position.
I remember honing this mindset years ago when working in the production world of live events. If I wasn’t on tour, I was doing sound on concerts and events coming through Southern California. I was used to working 18-22 hour days, but some shows involved much more work than others with much varying conditions. Let’s just say I was not always jumping for joy about the days of work ahead of me.
I remember before a gig I was not terribly excited about thinking (and feeling) ugh! I really don’t want to do this gig! It is going to be soo long, hard, boring, annoying… Blah, blah, blah. You get the picture. Knowing that I really didn’t want to set up my day in that way or to live my day in that way, I called myself out and confronted my ughs. I said okay, this is what I am up to today. This show may not my favorite type of gig, but whatever the details may be, that is what they are. It is just one day. This is what I am up to today.
It is really that simple. This is what I am up to today. It just is. So, I choose it. It is just one day, and even if it is not just one day, I take each day at a time and I take each day without the Ughs. This is what I am up to today.
Sent with love while on the go.
“Be who you are. Love who you are.”
Much Love & Gratitude
Your Joyologist, Tricia
