Good Friday!

Good Friday!

© By Allen Merritt (2017)

Today is Good Friday which is part of a religious tradition leading up to Easter Sunday and ending with the idea of a resurrection. As I woke up this morning and began getting my thoughts together I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to write about all that is good. I wanted to spend a quick moment to jot down some encouraging ideas and thoughts about reviving, rejuvenating and resurrecting our spirit; because we can do this anytime, not only on special occasions such as holidays or during recognized rituals and traditions. Everyday can be a good day.

As they say, “It's a good day to have a good day.” And, why not? What is “good” anyway? Isn't it subjective? Isn't it based on individual differences and personal perspective? It seems to me there are some obvious signs leading us to understanding what “good” is and isn’t. It also occurs to me that our perception of what is innately good is what we make of it not just what we are told or sold.

So let's talk about every day being good.

Parents often tell their children to be good, don’t they? Why do you think that is? Is it simply to teach them the difference between right and wrong? Is it about keeping up appearances so that others approve? Is well mannered and well behaved often recognized and associated with goodness? Or, is there an underlying lesson in how good and goodness can permeate our being any time we choose to allow it?

As a child I thought of being good as the opposite of getting into to trouble and avoiding punishment. I did not think about it as a lifestyle choice. Of course, Good Friday is not at all about that. It specifically reflects on a man losing his life at the hands of others. He was doing what he believed to be good and right in this world and he suffered a price for doing so in losing his life, which led to an amazing event three days later, that being the resurrection.

It seems to me there is a strong correlation here in the idea of how “good” plays a role in our lives when we let it, as well as how the concept of resurrection provides a chance to revive ourselves when we need it most.

If you are one of the many that look at Good Friday as a day commemorating an important series of events, then why not do the same with every other day of the week? Look in the mirror every morning, smile at yourself and be determined to have a great day. The weekend is not the only time to relax, enjoy, appreciate and feel like you are living your life.

Let’s lay the ground work for having a good day every day. 

Monday doesn’t have to be mundane. Turn it around and make it an opportunity to jump start your projects and responsibilities. Since Monday is the first day of the work week, it gives us a good chunk of time to work toward completing tasks. Some people think Monday is not the best day of the week because it's the first day that we go back to work after a weekend off. This isn't true so much anymore because our society has turned into a 24/7 operation. But in some parts of the world the weekend is still a time of rest and conducting business isn’t the goal.

What about Good Tuesday; a good time to find peace right where we are as we roll along?

I’d say Good Wednesday is already in motion for many, especially since it’s typically referred to as our, ‘Happy Hump Day,” meaning we’re half way there, half way through the work week.

Then there is Good Thursday. What positive mindsets can we put into place to make that a good day?

I don't think it's a question that people like good Saturday and good Sunday. Everyone has a different view on what is fun to do and what's relaxing to do and what they want to do to make the weekend a good weekend. But just in general every day can be a good day if we look at it from the right side of the fence, we wake up on the right side of the bed, as they say.

I often use the word “goodness” in response to things. I think it’s because I want to throw a positive spin on everything rather than viewing things negatively; which is easy to do when you think about how the media saturates us with bad news. In any case, there's no reason why we can't let the idea of Good Friday and the resurrection apply to us daily.

Infusing and applying the idea of “good” in each day generally makes sense to me and that is what I wanted to contemplate this day – Good Friday. Let’s celebrate every day of our life by recognizing that good and goodness are readily available to us if only we would reach out and claim it; by doing so, we will revive, and resurrect our spirit.

Seems like a practical and positive approach to take.

So go out there and have a Good Friday and a wonderful, wonderful GOOD weekend and every day from that point on. We’re all fallible at times as human beings but we're also very strong. We just need to lift ourselves up from time to time to keep on the positive path.

Have a Good day!

Cheers!