Dreary Days

First off, let me apologize (without really apologizing) for not posting anything for a few weeks. Planning a wedding, moving, and starting a new job (yes, at the SAME time) really takes most of my free time away. And to be honest, when I do have free time I usually am working out or listening to NPR. AAAANYWAYS, today when I walked outside for lunch I noticed that it was an extremely dreary day. Before you think I’m going to complain, trust me, I’m not. I absolutely LOVE dreary days. Yes, I know, most people HATE them. I’m extremely weird and this is just one of the things I embrace my weirdness on.

On dreary days everything moves just a little slower. People aren’t in as big of a rush, the birds are quieter, and the sky is usually one solid tone of bleak blue. The air feels slightly cooler and the leaves on the trees are still. Dreary days are so simple and uninterrupted. It’s in this simplicity that I find some of my best ideas, contentment, and peace of mind. We get so busy trying to be on time, planning the next big night, or trying to complete to do lists that we forget to enjoy the boring, drab day we’ve been given.

Enjoy the stillness. We don’t have to be on the go all the time! I’m an extremely busy person and it’s a small miracle for me to walk outside and feel like I don’t have to live up to this day’s expectations. I can relax and breathe. I don’t have to worry about how busy tomorrow is going to be, I can concentrate on what I’m doing right now. I can go to lunch, enjoy this day most people will deem depressing, and not have to worry about putting on my sunglasses.

One of my all-time favorite quotes is “What we see depends mainly on what we look for” by John Lubbock. It is extremely easy to pick out things that are wrong with this type of day (and any other type of day or situation for that matter). Instead, why don’t we look at this dreary day as an opportunity to slow down, be mindful, and just enjoy the tranquility days like this bring. Life doesn’t always have to be busy and complicating. It can be simple and that’s always enough. Dreary days don’t have to be “depressing.” They can be just the mental break you’re looking for J