What was the first thing you said to yourself this morning?

I woke up, made my coffee, tripped on the dog, and said, "OMG Shea, you're so stupid" as I spilled coffee on myself. My morning did NOT improve after that. My favorite shirt wasn't dry, my hairdryer died, and I was late so I missed breakfast. My entire day was looking rough. 

Before I came into the school, I said a little prayer, then closed my eyes, and said, "Shea, it's Monday. The moon is full and beautiful this morning, your animals are fed, and man you sure are a nice lady. YOU GOT THIS! You look pretty, you are smart and very kind. Make this day better!"

By the time I got through 1st hour, despite the chaos of schedule changes in Ms. Mangum's office and me putting together this Counselor Corner - I started feeling a lot better.

I could have sat and cried. I could have said some colorful words and kicked a wall, or said more hateful things to myself when things weren't going my way this morning. However, doing that wouldn't have helped my feelings or my situation.

The next time you feel overwhelmed or angry about something, don't punish yourself by saying things that are hurtful towards YOU. Stop. Take a breath. Tell yourself something positive and change the course of your day.