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Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

It feels very February-ey today. The temperature outside feels colder than usual. The beautiful hoarfrost that was blessing us in January, is nowhere to be found. The joy and twinkly lights of the holidays are gone and the warmth of spring seems so far away. This is one of the mornings where I want to crawl back into bed. The day hasn’t even started, and yet I want to skip ahead to tomorrow.

On days like today it would be easy for me to reheat some leftover pizza for breakfast and watch a few episodes of “Seinfeld.” If it were the weekend, I probably would indulge my urge to be lazy and shut the world out. However, today I have too much stuff to do, so unfortunately I have to get up and be productive.

One thing that helps me get out of a funk is to look at positive quotes. I almost bathe myself in them. I’ll search “motivational,” “uplifting,” “inspiring,” and then I’ll read them until I start to feel better. Most of the time this does the trick, and most of the time I’ll share one of my favorites to Facebook.

“Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.” — Socrates

This was one of my favorites from today. As I read it, internally I nodded and said, “Yup.” Then I saw who it was credited to and that made me smile. This wisdom that I’ve recently discovered as truth has been around for hundreds of years. This information has been available for anyone that wanted to learn it, and yet it’s a mystery to so many. Quotes like this remind me of the kind of person I strive to be.

“I found that ultimately if you truly pour your heart into what you believe in — even if it makes you vulnerable — amazing things can and will happen.” — Emma Watson

Then I read something like this, and it helps me not feel so deflated. It’s hard being positive and optimistic in a world designed to bring me down. I’m reminded that my passion is a valuable asset and needed at work and in my personal life.

Probably the best one I read today was by Margaret Thatcher. “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” It was at that moment that I felt prompted to get up and start getting ready for work. I couldn’t waste my day away because as Margaret said, I’m a woman, I need to get something done.

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears in the Tribune every Saturday.