It was one of those days...

- Michelle in overwhelm!!! -

Have you ever had one of those days? Challenge after challenge. Failure after failure. Tasks that needed doing simply weren’t getting done.

On this particular day, by late morning, I was deeply frustrated. I decided to take a break - grabbed some lunch, took a shower to reset, and then returned to my list in the afternoon, hoping to regain some momentum.

Looking back, the day wasn’t a complete failure. I did accomplish some things. But mentally, I couldn’t escape the familiar loop of I am a failure. It’s a mode I know well, and probably my least favorite state to be in. Once I’m there, it’s extremely difficult to climb out. Later in the afternoon, I forced myself to leave the house for a pre-planned outing. I genuinely enjoyed time with friends, yet in the background, the day’s perceived failures, and a few extras that decided to tag along, would be staring out the window, waiting for me to arrive home, ready to resurface the moment I opened the front door.

Want a real-life example? Recently, just moments before I was scheduled to teach a class, I experienced a technology failure. Suddenly, no one could hear me. My microphone wasn’t working, and trying to fix it in that exact moment felt nearly impossible. I made a quick decision to scrap the mic and project my voice instead.

In that moment, I had no choice but to set aside my frustration and find presence with the students in front of me. It took a few minutes, but I got there. That ability - to pause, adapt, and move forward - has taken years to build. I think of it like strength training. Each time I put myself in a situation where things might go wrong, I get another chance to practice responding rather than spiraling.

And then there are days when none of that works. When the best option truly is to go to bed. On those days, I trust in a reset overnight and the possibility of a fresh start in the morning.

Some days are simply one of those days. Not a failure - just human.

mgk