Warning: Overly optimistic and peppy post ahead.
Yesterday I wrote about how I’m so happy to be in the midst of marathon training.
My speedy, rainy morning run wasn’t the only good thing about yesterday.
In fact, right before bed last night, I actually said out loud, “Absolutely nothing bad happened today. Today was awesome”
It was just one of those good days.
I had a photo shoot for work that, on Monday, was looking to be disastrous. But everything came together at the last minute and the shoot was a major success.
The dancers were amazingly talented and ridiculously sweet, the photographer caught every single move they did and the entire staff was in a great mood.
The shoot even wrapped a full 2.5 hours early, which pretty much never happens. Work day win!
Afterward I went to dinner at my favorite NYC restaurant: Tony’s Di Napoli!
This is my go-to spot when people are in town visiting. It’s family-style Italian, the bread basket is bottomless and the pasta is fantastic.
I don’t care that it’s in the heart of Times Square and it’s super touristy. I love it there. (And there used to be an Upper East Side location, but the stupid 2nd Avenue Subway construction forced it to close. RIP.)
I ate with a coworker, 6 of our models for today’s fashion shoot and my handsome friend.
Yup. He joined a table of eight hungry dancer girls and wasn’t afraid. Good man.
After dinner, Handsome Friend (the boyfriend title may or may not be in existence now…) and I saw Rock of Ages.
Perks of working for a dance magazine. I love Broadway.
This was my fourth or fifth time seeing the show and I loved checking out the new cast members and rocking out to my favorite ’80s music. Friend liked the show, too. He laughed a lot.
So I didn’t get as much sleep as I would have liked, as usual, and I was dragging a little during this morning’s Sweat Squad meetup.
Look at that!
Kelly made my morning by showing up in her new T-shirt. Looking fabulous, Kelly. You are great.
We ran with Lindsay and Megan, and I covered 5.5 miles. (I’m pretty sure they were all out dominating double-digit runs. Badasses.) My legs felt like they were filled with lead this morning.
But hey, not every run needs to be a speedy one. I’ve learned that big ol’ lesson over and over again from Coach Cane. He’s so wise.
I’ll be out of the office again today working at a photo shoot, which will be crazy but fun. And I’m still feeling happy about yesterday’s good day.
I am convinced that you can control how good every day is.
Yes, things will come up — missed deadlines (guilty), emails you just can’t find time to respond to (guilty) and crappy commutes (hopefully not guilty today) — but you get to decide how you react to these things.
I used to be so stressed out all the time. Every little thing set me off, got me worked up and, ultimately, brought on Crohn’s Disease flare-ups.
I can’t deal with that now, and I know that if I can ward off stress before it arises, I can also help keep my Crohn’s Disease at bay.
Yes, it currently helps that I’m all googly-eyed and giddy because I’m spending a lot of time with a very nice boy. Stress? What stress? Kissing & cuddling cure all.
But since I am not currently psyched about the idea of sharing this handsome man with others, I will give you five other (free!) ways to ensure you have a good day today:
1. Take a different route to work. If you drive, take another road. If you take the subway, get off a few stops earlier. If you walk, walk on the other side of the street. You’ll see new faces and will (hopefully) appreciate the change in surroundings.
2. Smile at a stranger. If you’re feeling extra ballsy, compliment a stranger. I recommend sticking with something simple, like “I like your shirt,” but go ahead and get wild with it. A stranger will totally not be afraid if you say, “You look like you’re great at karaoke” or “You have lovely boobs.” It’s not creepy. It’s polite. Right? No?
Anyway. Smile at people you pass today. Everyone wins.
3. Take a walk. If you’re like me and never leave your desk during the day, I recommend you do so. I should take my own advice here. But seriously. A little dose of midday Vitamin D can work wonders. And I think I read a study once that this can help you re-focus on your work tasks. I might have made that up. I don’t know. Just go take a walk, OK?
4. Wear your favorite outfit. I don’t care if you wore it yesterday, or three times last week. I have a few dresses that I put on when I need to perk up. It always works.
5. Call a friend. I love calling my mom at night and catching up with her. You could do that. Or you could call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Perhaps a grandparent? Just don’t be dumb and call someone who stresses you out. That’s fun for no one.
Bonus ideas: ogle puppies at a dog park, ogle men in a regular park, break a sweat however you’d like, wear a bathrobe, eat a delicious chocolate cake (the whole thing), get very drunk.
TELL ME: Do you have any tricks to make sure you have a good day? Share them. I want more ideas, since I don’t always take my own advice. I will more likely take your advice.
0 Responses
I love all your outfits!! Can you dress me, please? All I wear is running clothes!
Amazing post as always!!!!
You have a very interesting job
Cheers
Can I just say that your positivity is infectious! Bad day be gone!
Have a great day! & thanks for reminding me that I can change the course of my day from potentially awful to great!
lovelovelove.
sweating, eating a lot of candy, reading a new magazine, making plans with friends, and registering for a race or two would be on my list! 🙂
I LOVE your blue skirt and white shirt combo! Where on earth did you get this cute outfit? 🙂
Thank you! The lace top is from Madewell and the skirt is Anthropologie.
Lifting weights, chatting up a friend, and kicking back onto my bed feels amazing–no matter when!
Great post! I love those days where nothing goes wrong and you are happy the whole day. Playing with my puppy or taking her for a walk really help keep me stress free
Don’t forget to vote for me to become a member of the Refuel With Chocolate Milk team! I would really appreciate your support!
I find that stopping to pet a dog while out on a long run has the same effect as walking for a minute. Brings my heart rate down in seconds and powers me up to keep running!
That picture of you and Melanie is so cute!! I never realized just how short she is – unless you’re just incredibly tall. I suppose that’s very possible. 🙂
I will also second the idea to get up from your desk at work. I go home to walk the pup almost every day and I love that break. Sometimes it can be stressful if there’s a lot going on, and it does mean extra driving back and forth which isn’t really fun. BUT just being able to get outside and walk (and steal a few puppy kisses) does wonders for my stress level. And makes the afternoon so much better.
I hope the shoot goes well today!
Agreed that kissing and cuddling makes everything better. I need a “handsome friend.” 😉
For me, when I start my day off with good music on the way to the subway, that usually helps things along. These days it’s any country song, specifically “Dirt Road.”
Catching up with friends always makes me happy!
Also, this is going to sound really stupid, but I always think about how, pretty much, how all my dreams have come true (thus far) and how I should be so thankful for that. When I think of losing what I have or think about other places I “could’ve” been, I don’t know, it always reminds me how lucky I am.
Sorry that I’m not too helpful!
i love your positivity. it never fails to make me smile! i generally try to make sure my days include things that i love – whether it be a good meal, a good sweat, a good friend, a good drink, a good post-work event…you get the idea. it’s easy to feel down when your life seems mundane and routine, so i’m always on the lookout for new things to keep it interesting. and when all else fails, chatting with a friend or family member always helps.
so also, i just saw your post from yesterday and did a serious double take. your friend alex in that first photo? is my coworker. the world is tiny!
That’s so crazy! I love Alex! Small world.
(Found your blog through sweatyemily and im loving it!)
I love that you made that boob comment…some drunk lady actually came up to me at a dinner out with some co-workers and said “you have great cleavage!”…what?!?! It definitely was embarrassing but also hilarious, lightened the mood at what could’ve been an awkward dinner and I wont lie I felt pretty good about myself 🙂
keep up your awesome training!
YAY for boyfriend titles!
That is all. 🙂
I LOVE this post and think you are so right! Just starting the day (and continuing it) with a positive attitude has worked wonders for me. And telling myself that everything always works out in the end to help avoid stress. And I’m actually going outside for a little stroll now (dog park in MSQ added bonus!)
I’m so glad I got that shirt good and sweaty this a.m.! So lovely running with you, as always!
How completely and utterly awesome that you got to be at the photo shoot with Melanie Moore! (insert my super jealous face here) She was my favorite SYTYCD contestant since the very first show – such a powerful yet graceful dancer!
I love that puppy picture! People on the subway were so nice this morning with helping me with my suitcase. That made my day. Looks like they took some tips from you on being nice to strangers. 🙂
awww yeah! congrats Ali!:)
my advice? put makeup and pretty earrings on, sometimes, it makes a world of difference <3
spoiling myself with a coffee from starbucks instead of an office k-cup is always a pick-me-up…and bonus points, you have to LEAVE the office to go get it. bring on the sunshine!
p.s. i am in LOVE with rock of ages. its on repeat on pandora.
The suspense with Handsome Friend is killing me.
But on the topic of good moods, I’m full of tricks. You mentioned some of them. Here are some more.
Frozen yogurt.
Listening to music I love. 90s pop never fails.
Send a card (in the real mail) to a friend, just because.
Change the background on my computer to something that makes me smile.
Get lost in a good book.
Sleep in.
Take a bubble bath.
I love your blue skirt!
Smiling or laughing, no matter how stinky the day is going, usually makes me feel better about life.. and talking to my boyfriend or my mama almost always makes it a better day and improves my mood. 🙂
I love Melanie Moore! She’s so talented! And I’m glad you had a nice day 🙂 Thanks for the advice!
You just make me smile whenever I read your posts in the morning 🙂 And eeeeeeee about the boyfriend title coming up into existence! So exciting. Just calling my boyfriend usually puts me in a good mood and makes it a good day, which I think says a lot since we’ve been together for just over 2. 5 years. Sure we have our squabbles, but 99% of the time he makes me smile.
I love to look at funny youtube videos if I am having a particularly bad moment!
Ohhh good one! Watching “Charlie Bit My Finger” (the remix of course) and “Drunk History” always cheers me up.
Ahhhhhhhhh I’m so jealous that you met Melanie! Loved her! I’m so jealous of your job. I am not a dancer but I LOVE SYTYCD!
Aw this post made me happy! Glad you’re having a fabulous week.
I just took a new route to work on monday and discovered a Wawa here in philly I never knew existing! So I had a wawa coffee which made my entire week!!! – great advice!
Last night I was out running and I passed this guy and he shouts, “HEY! Great pace! (thumbs up)” and that totally made my night. Will have to pay it forward and compliment someone today.
Dance classes always make me feel good, even if I’m having a crappy day. Hot cocoa, chisel classes, my boyfriend, sushi, a good book and my big bed with feather down comforter all work too =)
xo Marie
Chocolate & Wine
Two of my faves – taking a walk, or sitting on the deck with my husband just catching up on our days, best way to unwind, destress, etc. And PS. VERY COOL on the photo shoot, must have been awesome to meet those dancers, they rocked this season!! (ohhh how I wish I was a dancer!)
This is a great post Ali! Can’t wait to wear my “I love sweat” shirt on my 3-miler this afternoon!
-Play fun music (80s/90s pop, Broadway soundtracks, etc…) as you get ready in the morning. Sing along and dance a little. Continue the fun as you walk to work (singing and dancing optional there…)
-wear a shiny accessory
-read a page or two from “14000 things to be happy about” think of your own list, too
Have a great day!
having a handsome friend around always makes me smile as well 🙂 i’m gonna head out for a quick run during work today too which rarely happens so im excited about that. and yay for stress free/amazing days when the crohns is at bay! hurray for health!
I’m a new follower and I love this post. I do think life is what you make of it. Sure, we all get caught up in bad days, but it’s all about how you react to them!
To add to your ideas: I’ll watch a funny youtube video or look through some old pictures from a fun night.
I’m with Christopher…where do you get the I <3 Sweat shirts??
More shirts are on the way! I’ll post the link to where you can order them online once it’s all set up. And you can get them at JackRabbit Sports on the Upper East Side if you’re in NYC.
Awesome 🙂
I think getting outside during the workday is so important! I am good at getting at least a few minutes in the summer… when it is cold it becomes a lot more difficult though.
Watching my Santana-Cam makes me happy during any day. Yes, we have a live feed of my brother’s dog all day long.
Babies. Visiting people with babies always makes me happy. Luckily I have a neighbor that has a newborn so I can be happier with just a quick walk next door.
I try to think of something that has made me smile recently. A bunch of these things may or may not involve my boyfriend (And it sounds like your Handsome friend is doing a TON of smile-worthy things). Or I think of a nice dinner that I can cook for the two of us and a movie to snuggle up with. I also stretch every morning when I wake up. Or make to-do lists so I can cross things off it!!
Making a special breakfast or treating myself to a Dunkin or Starbucks coffee helps when I want to have a good day. I appreciate peppy posts! 🙂
Fantastic Post Ali!
I skateboard down Park Avenue on my way to work to ensure my day starts off awesome.
PS I want an I Heart Sweat shirt. Where do I find them?
I’m ordering more shirts! You’ll be able to buy them at JackRabbit & I’ll be selling them online.
I am visiting with a friend’s 8 month old baby today! He always makes me feel better 🙂 And I’m coaching lululemon Run Club tonight. Those awesome runners inspire me! Gonna be a great day.