Episode 9
Welcome to Minding Your Mind, a weekly show for those looking for new thinking about old knowledge in the areas of Time, Living, Success, Health, Love, and Happiness.
In episode 8, I talked about how numbers are used to categorize our lives, the myth of Time management and the real value in managing the fulness of our life energy.
Today I pose the question: What crosses your mind when you hear someone say, “Thank God it’s Friday” (TGIF)? What do you think of, when you do this…, if you do?
First…, the odds are six to one that today is not Friday. If it is…, did you thank God? If it is not…, will you be giving thanks when Friday comes around?
Listen…, I realize not everyone works Monday thru Friday. But, to those who subscribe to TGIF as I once did…, I am especially talking to you.
I pause when I hear people say, “Thank God it’s Friday”. Because it makes me wonder if those who do…, also thank God for any other day of the week. If you do not thank God for any other day, ask yourself…, why not?
I asked a friend this same question and he accused me of being too literal… “It’s just something I say when Friday comes around. It is a way of expressing a sigh of relief that the workweek is almost over and that the weekend is here. It is about Happy Hour! It is Time to party”!
“That’s all well and good” …, I replied. “But is it just something you say that has no meaning…, or do you mean what you say”?
In other words, are the thanks you give God a sincere expression of gratitude…, or is it just a thing to say?
I believe words matter.
When you say, “Thank God it’s Friday” …, are you giving thanks that it is Friday…, or are you giving thanks that you are alive on Friday? “Both” …, you say?
OK…, that makes sense because Friday would have no meaning if you were not alive to experience it.
Then…, let me ask you this. What about Mondays?… How do you feel “being” alive on Mondays?… “I hate Mondays”. “Oh God, not another Monday”!
Do these laments sound familiar to you? You may have voiced them yourself… I have.
Other laments are outright indecent and not family friendly. So, I’m not going to repeat them here.
Now…, think about it for a moment… Just two days prior, you may have given thanks to God that it was Friday.
So, what is wrong with this picture? TGIF has become a national chant, just as “I hate Mondays” …, a national lament.
Sadly, I run into people who have bad Mondays for no reason other…, than it is Monday. What’s with that? What did Monday do, to anyone?
I am sure these same people have had bad Fridays too… What gives? Definitely…, not time… Certainly…, your state of mind.
The truth is…, just as bad things happen to good people…, so do bad things happen on days we celebrate, like birthdays, holidays, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and yes…, on Fridays.
In other words, any Time is the perfect time for good things or bad things to happen. It is just Life…, and it happens all the time to anyone, any Time, anywhere.
Fortunately…, the so-called ordinary days greatly outnumber the days we celebrate and so…, more times than not, good things and bad things will happen on ordinary days.
I say, “so-called” ordinary days because, I do not believe there is such a thing. A day is a reference to a period, and Time justis… Time is attributable to nothing.
Otherwise…, it is about being alive and our state mind…, more than it is about Time… Remember that.
So…, you don’t have to wait around for a particular day or numerical Time to celebrate Life… Dead people can’t.
This in mind, go on…, celebrate life as you have it, as you live it, right here, right now. While you do, however…, be mindful that if something good has happened or is going on in your life right now…, let that be the icing on your cake.
It’s ok…, you can go ahead and lick your fingers. Enjoy it!
What about Tuesday? Well…, Tuesday for many is just one of those so-called ordinary days. Its dawning does not incite emotions one way or the other.
At least it hadn’t happened to me. Tuesday is typically silent and almost anonymous. It tiptoes quietly by, as it sneaks up on Wednesday.
So…, what is it with Wednesday? Well…, for most of us, it is the middle of the workweek. Furthermore, we like Wednesday so much we have given it a nickname. Of course, you know it…, “Hump Day”.
It signals you have reached the summit of the workweek, and that you’re on the descent to Friday.
For me…, I can imagine sitting atop a Camel’s back and looking out into the horizon and hoping that what I am seeing is not a mirage but, in reality…, Friday.
Think about it. Wednesday is the only day of the week with a nickname. Perhaps it is fitting that we also thank God it is Wednesday, (TGIW)… What do you think?
By the way…, Latinos like Wednesdays too, and have their own nickname. It’s called, “El Ombligo de la semana”…, the “Bellybutton”, of the week… Cute, right?
Then, over the Hump and upon our descent…, we step into Thursday. Thursday is like Tuesday, except it is a day of anticipation…, and we like it more. So much more, that I think Thursday should get a nickname too. What do you think about this one…, “One more day”? I heard it almost every Thursday in the office. Yes…, Thursday is the “One more day” day… Do you like this nickname?
It is what you hear on Thursday mornings at the work. “One more day. I can’t wait” … It is the fourth day into the Camel ride toward Friday.
It is the “mental rubbernecking” of people trying to get a glimpse of Friday. Thursday is the eve of what seems like the “working holiday”, that is Friday.
Then…, at first light, the nation chants…, “Thank God it’s Friday!” Most of us show up at the office in a relatively good mood…, especially if it is payday, and saying what else? You know it…, TGIF.
The mood is set, and no one is lamenting anything especially when there is money to spend. It is like exhaling after holding your breath, or hyper ventilating for four days.
The wait is over, and it seems like there is more oxygen in the air. We can relax a bit and get some work done while our Minds shift gears as we cruise toward the end of the work week.
Then it is off to “Happy hour” or home for two days of rest and relaxation; at least that is usually the plan, right? Yeah, right.
By the way…, here is a chicken and egg question. What came first, the national chant, TGIF, or the restaurants named TGI-Fridays? Does one relate to, or reflect the other in terms of our state on mind?… I’m not sure. I guess it could. But…, to each his own mind.
I get the sense most of you know about the famous TGI Fridays restaurants. It used to be one of our favorites. My daughters and I would go there for the fun and the food.
But wait a minute… You know what?… Now that I’m talking about it, I do not recall ever going there on a Friday. Maybe, I should ask my daughters.
The lesson here however, I believe…, is that celebrating life is more of a state of mind than it is a national chant, a particular day, or a location.
Still, talking about our state of mind. You know I ask a lot of questions…, and I do because they get our minds in gear. They get our minds in gear because answers may not spontaneously come to mind. We may have to think, right?
This in mind, here is another question. In episode 7 I asked if you were happy, and I hope you are. Now I ask the question this way. How are you “Being”? This question applies to any emotional experience we may be enjoying or coping with.
By the way, I believe the proper question is, how “be” you? After all, you can “be”, but you can’t “are”.
Nevertheless, and customarily, the question is, “How are you “Doing”? It is a good question if, the answer is that I am doing the dishes, but not that I am angry because I must do the dishes. You would not say that you are doing angry, right?
Anger, like any other emotion, is a state of being after which doing normally follows. Remember…, we must first be, before we can do.
Anyway…, here is another question. Are you OK? I hope you are. However…, let’s just say you are going through a bad experience. Would it matter to you what day it was? Of course not, right?
Could you imagine anyone going through a bad experience on a Monday wishing it were Friday? I don’t think you can…, and I hope I am not wrong.
However, it would be a nice dream or a fantasy if the day of the week determined how you were being. Happy hour and weekends would take on a new and wonderful meaning.
But here in the real world, life happens regardless of who, what, when, where, why, or how…, and because it does…, it is especially important to not expect the day of the week determine how you are “being”.
Fortunately, the good days will…, most of the time…, outnumber the bad ones. As well…, the good days may not be Fridays or holidays. They don’t need to be. Only you, need to be.
Remember, life happens all the time and we can’t know what will. Friday is just Friday. If your mind is in a good place, enjoy it. If not…, cope as best you can. A good place is usually just around the corner… Expect it.
Mental attitude should be based upon whatever is going on during your Life at a point in Time…, and how well you are coping, or how you are enjoying.
We live during, and through whatever bad moments we are experiencing, and for however long it takes us to process, solve, or accept those experiences as we live-along.
Furthermore, realize that whatever it is you are going through, you are going through it in the Present… To hear this may seem obvious to you…, but is it, really?
Is it also obvious to you that there is no Life an instant ago or an instant from now? By now…, I hope it is.
Right now, let’s take a pause to do this. For just a moment…, draw all your focus and attention to “Being” alive right here, right now. Start with noticing how you are breathing and then let us take a deep breath together……. that felt good, right?
Now, resist thinking about the past, however recent, or the future, however near.
Ok…, I realize, just asking the question, bring these thoughts to mind. Still, it is an exercise in being present minded. Practice it.
So now, is there something about which to be thankful? Of course, there is: Life… Life Now.
Thank God, it is Now: TGIN. Try to live with an ever-present gratitude for every breath you take. Be mindful of your “Being” in your own presence, wherever you are, wherever you go.
You want to know something else about me? I like me so much, I take me everywhere I go, and when I get there, we hang out, and sometimes with other people.
Anyway…, forget Fridays or Mondays. Forget about nine o’clock or five o’clock. The clock or the calendar has nothing to do with boredom and fun, sadness and happiness, pain and pleasure, or love and hate. It is all one Life, and there is only one “Time”…, and that time is, Now.
No matter what state you live in…, your state of mind is always with you… Mind it.
It is always Now O’clock when Life happens.
I said it in a previous episode…, we are all traveling hostages of the present; of the now. The only escape is through a gate in Time leaving life, behind.
It is the way of life, and we have no choice, at least…, not in the physical sense. Here and now is where and when we always live.
Otherwise, only through thought can we transport ourselves into the future or into the past. Therefore, as we are in the Present and enjoying or coping with whatever it is we are experiencing, we should try to be mindful and fully aware of “being” as we are and as everything is and think positively about outcomes in the future because it is when those outcomes unfold. Expect them.
We should always strive to remain mindful in the Present Positive Tense for as long as we can.
Yes…, even if you are living through a negative experience in the moment…, you should try to think positive thoughts, beginning with the realization that the experience does not exist in the future, and it is only as temporary as the Moment.
Life challenges us all the time…, and most of the time we are better for it, or at least good enough for now. Strive to be mindful of this…, especially during challenging moments.
Also…, keep in mind, that just being alive, is the ultimate positive state on this side, of the most powerful element that is… Time.
I do not know who first spoke or wrote the words, “Every act of destruction is followed by an act of creation” or words to that effect. However, what I do believe, is that in the formation of Life, there is no destruction. Instead…, there is the most powerful and positive event in the entire universe and among all living creatures… Conception.
It follows that we are literally born Positive…, and it is from this Present Positive state, followed with positive thoughts and expectations about the future, that a good Life becomes our Present and Mindful reality.
All in all…, I think it is a good thing to get together to share the good life. Most importantly though, I believe that we should use the Life we have to celebrate, whether it is on Friday, any other day of the week or on any holiday.
It is OK to reminisce about days in the past and imagine the future. Just keep in mind that those moments will always be outside of the Now when we could be living the fullness of life as it happens.
Now, this is not to say that you are not enjoying the moment. It is to say that you may not be enjoying it to its fullest.
While we’re at it…, and because we are always in it…, let us thank God it is Now.
It is so easy to miss this Moment, this Now. It goes by instantaneously.
As I said, any time is a good time to celebrate something…, anything, even Friday. Remember, we are always living our entire lives in the present; not some of it, not most of it, all of it, all the time…, and because it all happens in the Now…, it is good to thank God. TGIN
In episode 10 I will talk about Time and a shift in perspective about how we think we consume it. Then things will get a little weird. You may need to hold on to your mind.
Sometime before then, stop by my website, nowoclock.live. There you will find more original, positive, inspirational and thought-provoking content you can mind your mind with. Share what you find there and spread any idea you agree is worth spreading. There is something there, as there was here, for almost everyone. I hope there was for you.