Word of the day: simple

A day that consists of simple decisions.

Today I had the dilemma of waking up to the sound of my alarm clock or deciding to sleep longer. I chose the latter and I ended up being late for my part-time job (I really should just get up once my alarm goes off).

Spotify has been a favourite source of all my music cravings and discoveries since I’ve signed up. I’ve made it a habit to play upbeat music when I get out of bed (sometimes “smooth” music, but usually happy and upbeat so I can get the morning started energized). I decided to play a playlist called Have A Great Day. It did its job. I was up and felt like I’m going to have a great day ahead.

After work, I’m faced with another dilemma: to work out or not to work out. My siblings decided on a routine: working out together after work/ school. My brother decided to stay at home so he can work on his assignments leaving me to decide on whether or not I should work out alone or join him at home. Might as well relax after a long day, right? But I told myself that the accumulated stresses and pressures can be released during the workout session. The simple decision of working out, even though it meant going alone, was the best decision of the day. I worked out for 1 and a half hour, as my sister suggested because I’ve shared how infrequent my gym sessions have been.

The adrenaline I felt after a long day while I was running up the treadmill was exhilarating. I told myself that every time I work out, I should push myself to my limit and not stay as relaxed as I did before. It helped convert my stress energy into workout energy, if that makes sense. What made me mad about not getting any calls from the job applications I’ve submitted were all poured out in the iron I lifted during my weight training. All the pressures were gone for that whole 1.5 hours. In that moment, I felt like a winner. I felt that I could do anything even though I was surrounded by people who were way fitter than I am.

My post-workout meal involved me going to Cedarbrae Mall late at night. I was desperate to find protein and veggies right after workout which was close to the gym and didn’t require me to walk alone in the dark night. My brother requested me to get some Timmy’s for him to take home after I eat dinner.

I don’t remember when I started the habit of always smiling and sounding cheerful when I’m at a store, restaurant or anywhere that provides services. But I do know that I wanted to spread positive vibes as a customer and most of all, I didn’t want to be a burden (yeahhh, I feel that). Anyway, my point is, smiling is contagious and having a happy mood is too. So, if you have the power to spread happy vibes, go right ahead (especially to someone who has been working a full shift). The last thing they’ll need is a frowning customer.

When I walked towards Tim Horton’s, I don’t know why but I decided to add on to my usual habit: do a simple gesture and say “Have a good night.” after saying “Thank you.”, of course. You know what? It was worth it. Not only did I feel good because you wished a hard working person in the service industry to have a great night ahead, seeing that they are sacrificing a lot of time and effort, but you also see their smile on their faces. A smile that reads “The long night of work won’t be so bad after all.”

I did the same thing when I walked into Booster Juice and they only had 30 minutes left ‘til closing time. I kind of felt bad to order because I saw the girl in-charge cleaning up already and the shop was ready for the next business day. I thanked her for her service and said the simple “Have a good night.” When she responded “Thank you. You too.”, I heard her smile from her voice. See! Happy vibes!

I forgot to mention that when I was at Timmy’s, I ordered Crispy Chicken for my brother. The manager informed me that they only had spicy chicken instead of regular. I agreed hesitantly on the alternative. He tried to compensate by telling me that they won’t add the spicy mayonnaise so that it won’t be too spicy and thanked me for understanding. I thanked him for the thoughtfulness. Who would go out of their way to customize the order? Such a nice person. When he gave me my order, he told me to wait… and guess what he did after? He gave me a free strudel ☺and said it was for having the spicy chicken ☺