A few years ago I started ending much of my correspondence with the closing,  ‘Make Your Day Great’ and it has become somewhat of a  motto.  While most people say, “Have a great day,” I place the responsibility onto the person I’m writing. Having a great day and making a day great are not the same.

When someone tells me to have a great day, I think, “Sure, that would be nice,” and I wait for something to happen.  I’ve even heard people reply to this with, “Yeah, right!” They just don’t see themselves winning the lucky, great-day lottery.

Telling someone to make their day great offers them a challenge and a choice. Sure, we might happen upon a great day.  Things like that do happen, but then again we might also stumble  upon a crappy day just as likely.  Being challenged to make the day great offers a choice.

So how do we do it?  How do we go about making our day great?

First of all, get the right attitude.  Slap a silly smile on your mug, and believe that you can make your day great, because, yep, you guessed it, you really can.  You are in control.  You cannot control what happens. (I totally agree with this!) But you can control how you react to it.  If your four-year-old pours milk on the shirt you just ironed you can freak out or laugh.  (We’d certainly laugh if it happened to someone else.) It’s a choice.  You can choose a first-rate attitude and domino that into a great day, or a second-rate attitude (or worse) and spiral down to a bad day. Heck, laughing about what happened and retelling the story with a great attitude will make you the hit of the office.  It will impact everyone.

Second, make a plan.  Ask yourself what it would really take to have a great day.  Would you like to exercise? Complete some chores? Talk with someone you miss? Spend time with a family member?  Write it down and build it into your day, that way it actually happens.  Journals and index cards are awesome places to plan your day. Plan your day or someone else will.  And while you’re at it, plan some fun into your day.

Third, keep it simple.  Our best days in life are usually very simple ones.  Spending time either doing things that make us feel a sense of accomplishment or enjoyment rank high, but more importantly it’s who we spend our day with that matters the most. Don’t over do it. Do things that make you feel good in the short and long term.  For instance, exercise and lots of water makes me feel good immediately and over time.  A candy bar makes me feel instantly good, but bad later.  Do the former, lose the latter. Finding some private time to write, to pray, to listen to some of my favorite tunes revitalizes my outlook on the day.

Next, assume the best of others.  Avoid gossip and speculation.  Assume that others always mean well.  If someone crosses you or is rude, assume it was accidental and move on.  Don’t make it personal.  Besides, and this is a hard one for me, you can’t control what others think or say.  You really can’t.  Since you can’t, don’t let it bum you out.  Give your best and move forward.  Stay positive.

Furthermore, compare your day with others, but be careful. To have a great day you have to do great things.  Without becoming envious or jealous, whose day do you admire?  Being careful, use them as a model.  On the other hand, if you think you are having a bad day you might consider comparing yourself to those less fortunate.  (Having trouble? Pick up a newspaper.  If you don’t see them on the front page, flip to the obituaries.)

Last, start your day with gratitude and fill it with service. Openly give thanks for all that you have.  Make time in your day to serve others. See someone having a bad day? Flash them a smile and do something unexpectedly nice.  These actions alone will truly make your day a great one.

I have recently received emails from some friends letting me know that they too are now using the closing Make Your Day Great, and I give them my complete approval, just as long as they live it. Once you do it, it becomes contagious.

Make Your Day Great!

~ Kelly

Kelly is an inspirational speaker, author, and artist. Please visit our website to book Kelly for your next event. www.kellycroy.com info@kellycroy.com 1-800-831-4825

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker. His presentations have entertained and amazed audiences across the nation including corporations, schools, churches, conferences, and numerous other venues where people come together to be entertained and improve their lives.  Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.