“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” Mary Engelbreit
Travelling on the transport system in London can make nearly anyone fall into a state of clinical depression within the hour. As soon as I board the train in the mornings, I’m immediately washed over with a wave of sadness and the so-called ‘morning blues’. There are men in top hats (literally) reading the newspaper and frowning, women reading their Kindles with glazed eyes, and Londoners leaning against the glass partitions trying to sneak in a desperate five-minute snooze while being squished like sardines. I try not to look around on the trains because it physiologically brings me down. If I’m lucky enough to get a seat, I admire nature out the window. Otherwise, I read or try to keep up with home life through social media.
See, I try to wake up every day thinking, “Today is going to be a GREAT day.” And I don’t let Transport for London change that. So when an impending blizzard was announced last week, people took cover. Thousands of schools were closed the evening prior, and signs all over stations warned people of “severe weather” ahead. Allow me clarify: this “severe weather” consisted of a few centimetres of snow falling over 24 hours. But for a temperate city unprepared to deal with mercury settings outside a range of 0-20ºC, panic ensued.
On Friday morning, I awoke to this:
And by the time I arrived at work (it’s over an hour’s commute), the sidewalks pavements were dusted with snow:
I was *really* excited to see snow in London!
Due to the weather, we were able to leave the office early and work from home. Upon leaving, I saw a FedEx van, (which may have, psychologically-speaking, contributed ever-so-slightly to my happiness that day)! Before heading home, I decided to take a stroll at the nearby square to admire the beauty of London’s fleeting winter:
Unbeknownst to me, another girl was doing the same. I’m sure the smile on my face alerted her to my friendliness and we started talking, walking and appreciating life. Turns out she’s new in town and doesn’t have many friends (except, for me now… obviously). We then ran into this cute surprise someone left for us:
Most people in London get angry with the idea of snow getting in the way of their mundane, routine lives. I, on the other hand, consciously chose to embrace it (my Canadian roots may have been showing). My happiness allowed me to make a new friend, and give my positive energy out to the universe. In fact, I received a random “Feel Good Friday 50% off” my purchase at a store shortly after! This kind of “luck” has never happened to me before, so I’m completely attributing it to remaining positive on a day where everyone chose to be grumpy. Think positive and positive things will happen!
Snow, early dismissal from work, FedEx, a new friend, mini snowmen, a great discount, and living in a historical city all added up to my great day. Little things? Absolutely. But it’s the little things that make life big.
