Had a Bad Day Again...

We all have bad days. Those days that you wish just wouldn't happen, but would go away and stop haunting you. Those days when you pray for some reason to be joyful and happy. Those days when life gets too confusing to deal with. When you just want to stop everything and go to your happy place, but you can't. Those are the hard days.
This last week I was reminded of a song called "Bad Day". Not the song by Daniel Powter that everyone will remember, but a song from the 90's by Fuel. It describes a man's frustration at not being able to help someone on their bad day.

"Spilled her coffee
Broke a shoelace
Smeared the lipstick on her face.
Left a note that said,
'I'm sorry I had a bad day again.'
She said I would not understand."

In my life I am grateful that I do know that someone understands. There are people all around who love us and want to help. Do not shut them out on the bad days. Allow them to serve you because they truly can help. Perhaps they do not truly understand, but know that someone does. There's someone who understands exactly what you are going through and how you feel about it. The Savior loves you and understands. He knows how you feel and what you need. Do not leave Him a note telling Him He won't understand. He Can Help!
I have one more comfort on my bad days. There is always something to be grateful for, which is a shining moment that can bring joy if only for a moment. I personally adore the smell of freshly cut grass. During the summer I can normally find some place where I can smell such a glorious smell. It's never anything big on the bad days, but there are hundreds of small things that can brighten my day if I just look for them. This is what motivates me. The small reminders that life is still good.

The Pink Elephant...

Have you ever seen a pink elephant try and hide? I haven't, but this picture helps me imagine it a little bit more. As much as the elephant may try it will never be able to hide itself completely. It will always be showing in some way.
I suppose this needs and explanation. A few months back I was discussing a talk by Dieter F Uchtdorf with a friend. My friend immediately recognized the talk I was thinking of as a talk on pride. They told me that they normally try to ignore the big pink elephant that is constantly in the room. I thought about it and it's true. My friend does try to hide the elephant. However, no matter how hard they try they can't hide it completely. I then wondered about myself.
I have a pink elephant that follows me around. Sometimes I like to pretend that I can conquer the pink elephant, but then I realize that in the act the pink elephant is standing right beside me! It is just one of those things in life that I haven't figured out yet. However, sometimes my pink elephant gets taken away for a moment or two. These are not moments of rejoicing however. It is then that I realize that I am an idiot! I don't know what I'm doing! I really don't know anything at all and there are millions of people in this world who are much better than I am!
So why is this on my motivation blog? To be truly motivated I need a goal. I need something to work on that I cannot accomplish on my own. This is my goal. Someday I will be able to look my pink elephant square in the face and tell it to go away. I do not see it as a huge rejoicing experience, but rather a quiet understanding. Someday I will not have to feel the pain of my pink elephant being taken away. I will just be free!