Psyche logo

This Week I had to Take My Own Advice

Practice what you preach, I tell myself

By Tricia HPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
Like
(photo by author)

Recently, I wrote several Vocal articles on the topics of motivation and mental health. At the time I wrote them they were based on things I had learned from past experience and how I had coped with life and the challenges it had thrown at me.

This week, I had reason to need some advice on the very topics I had written about, so I took the opportunity to revisit those ideas and read those articles myself. It’s been a tough week, and I had a major disappointment that left me feeling devastated.

I didn’t get a job I’d interviewed for. It was a job I really wanted, I admit. The work sounded incredibly interesting, and right up my alley. I felt confident the interview went well. I know that I was well qualified for the work. I know that my references were good (and all these things were confirmed when the HR person called to tell me they’d offered the job to someone else.) Still, I didn’t get the job.

I dislike hypocrisy in other people, and certainly didn’t want to see it in myself, so, after having a pity party for myself (attendees:1), I knew it was time to “practice what I preach.”

I took some of my own advice from Six Ways I Stay Sane When Things Get Tough just yesterday, when I forced myself to get up and get dressed and took my dog for a walk in our neighborhood. It was a beautiful day; warm, with beautiful blue skies, and once I found the energy to get moving, I was able to appreciate being outside, and I know my dog enjoyed the exercise too.

How could I not feel better spending time with this cutie? (photo by author)

Yesterday I also allowed myself to do another one of my favorite things, which I mentioned in my Six Ways article, and also my article about how remembering my favorite things makes me feel better, and I spent a good part of the day comfy on the sofa, wrapped up in a blanket with a good book. I barely moved until I finished it.

There’s a Good Reason for Everything that Happens, an article I wrote and published on Vocal about a month ago, was—or is—a harder sell for me right now.

I absolutely do believe that there is a good reason for everything that happens. But sometimes, as I wrote in that article, we don’t always know what that good reason is. The advice I gave in that article was that if you believe that there is good in every situation, and you’re sincerely, honestly looking for it, (I am, and I am), then you’ll find it.

So I’m going to trust myself and believe that I know what I’m talking about, and I’m going to do my best to believe—or know—that in this situation of not getting what seemed to be a really great job, of being unemployed now for almost five months, there’s some good for me.

Maybe there’s an even better job out there for me. Or maybe desperation will send me to a store where I’ll buy a lottery ticket that turns out to be a winner, and then I won’t need a job. Or maybe…..

Who knows? I don’t at this point, but I’m doing my best to stay open, be positive, and believe that there’s a “grand plan” for me that this little bump in the road is a part of.

I wish I’d written an article about negative self-talk, because I’m having some issues with that right now. While I know it’s absolutely not helpful, it’s hard not to, and I could use some suggestions on getting out of that rut. Maybe I’ll write that article soon.

In the meantime, I will be taking my own advice, and doing the things that help me stay sane when things get tough: going out in nature, reading, playing with my dog.

And I’ll be remembering some of my favorite things: maybe I’ll eat some carbs while watching The Wizard of Oz, or the Pride and Prejudice version with Colin Firth, have cheesecake for dessert, and then do some reading. All favorite things of mine.

One thing I won’t be doing is having another pity party.

I’m practicing what I preach, I’m taking my own advice, and I’m determined to feel better about things. I’m already writing, so I think I’ve taken the first step on the right track.

And I have to admit, though I do it begrudgingly, that I am feeling a little better now than even when I started writing this article, and way better than I did two days ago when I first got the “good” news.

So maybe I do have some good advice to give.

Just in case my own advice isn’t good enough, or there just isn’t enough of it, I think I’m also going to reach out to other writers, and see what they have to offer me. Because right now I can use all the help I can get.

coping
Like

About the Creator

Tricia H

Dog mom, Texan, amateur photographer,crafter, reader, writer.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.