You are great.

Yesterday I felt like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Everything that has been weighing on my heart and mind these past few weeks just kind of broke me open in a gut-wrenching way that I haven't experienced in awhile. That of course affected me physically, and then it was one "bad" thing after another. I try to keep things in perspective, I really do. But yesterday I let all of that slide. Onetwothreepeacefuls and yoga poses evaporated into a fury of comparison, expectation, frustration, exhaustion, and sadness, and I just let it happen. 

I sulked. I wallowed. I didn't even try. 

But I kept breathing. I didn't even want to look at my to-do list, so I didn't. I gave myself that permission, even if it came from a place of negativity rather than grace. And then, silly as it sounds, I started reading. I caught up on a few of my favorite blogs, and read about joy. Struggle. Pain. Happiness. I breathed in positivity from the stories of others, and slowly, my pity-party dissipated. And then I found this, and it made all the difference. 

I'm a huge proponent of validating others, but so often forget that self-validation is one of the most important, beautiful acts of grace you can give yourself. This short film was a much-needed reminder. Definitely bookmarking it for the down days! Or, you know, whenever I need a smile (: 

What do you do when you're at a low point? How do you push yourself when you're just not feelin' it? (I kept hearing Neil Gaiman's words in my head: "MAKE. GOOD. ART. Make it on the bad days, make it on the good days too"...and I wanted to punch him, haha. But he's right. Hopefully next time I'll heed the advice rather than shirk at it.)