Sometimes you have days or weeks (or even years sometimes!) where things just don’t seem to be going your way. You have a deadline that needs to be met, nothing is going right with it, your kids are in the other room screaming at each other, you have bills that are getting farther and farther behind with each passing month, and you just don’t know what to do about it! I totally get it… I’ve been there! Last week was one of those weeks where everything seemed to hit the fan all at once. It was very easy to get discouraged. I consider myself to be an incurable optimist, yet there are still times where I find it a new challenge to stay optimistic during some of those times. So what to do?

So what can you do when the whole world seems to be crashing down on you? Sometimes it takes simply removing everything in your life that is complicated, even if it’s just for a while. You need to give yourself room to breathe! Each and every one of us has the same opportunity to do this, and it isn’t difficult! God made this earth for us. I truly believe that. He made it so that we could enjoy the beauty of it. He made it so that we could be out in it, not cramped up inside an office, our home, or car. He made this place, our home, such a perfect place to forget all of our cares and worries! He made it so that we could go outside, leaving the rest of the world behind, and enjoy this wonderful gift that He has given us. He knows each of us personally and He knew what would get us back to ourselves, so we need to take advantage of this wonder we call home!

Tonight, after a very well-scheduled and accomplished day, I sat down in my office and realized that I was going to be alone for the remainder of the evening. What I chose to do with my time was entirely up to me. I love having the opportunity that each of us has to create my own life. So I decided that I was going to go out on a short bike ride to enjoy the crisp January air under the light of this beautiful full moon. I went out and was gone for only about thirty minutes. That thirty minutes was the best part of my day! I felt so alive! Nothing could go wrong during my time enjoying nature and the gift that I have been given. I even dropped my phone during the process and the screen shattered entirely. To me tonight however, it didn’t matter! Nothing did. All that mattered was that I was outside and I was happy! There is an amazing power in being outside and enjoying this wonderful gift!

My challenge to you is to get out there and be happy! I know how much the pressures of the world often weigh down on you. I know how seemingly impossible life can be at times. All you want to do sometimes is go to sleep so that, for a short period of time, you can escape! That only gets you so far, as I’m sure you already know. Get outside! Go for a walk! Leave your stresses and problems at the front door and go enjoy this wonder that God has given us. Do this whenever it gets hard. Trust me, it’s one of the many keys to being happily alive!

Here’s to you my friend!