Finding Motivation On Gloomy Days

As the days get shorter, the sky gets gloomier, the air gets cooler, and our schedules get busier, it can become hard to keep moving forward with consistent energy. I know I start to lose motivation around this time of year and am always feeling like a need an extra pick-me-up. It doesn’t have to be something big or dramatic, it often is kind words from a friend or a phone call from your mom. Sometimes it’s hearing that song that puts you in a good mood, or a really good workout. And sometimes it’s a poem that you stumble across: 

Sometimes hope 

is the morning sun 

rising bold 

over troubled horizons, 

the deep river in the woods

the proof of something good 

a place to travel to, 

“there is more ahead of you” 

but then there are times 

where it’s harder to find 

and it’s 3 am, 

your world spins, 

and you’re just breathing, 

you’re still breathing, 

for hope is 

running wild within you 

after everything you’ve been through, 

the wild horse in barren fields 

hope is still 

alive 

in you 

everyone’s got something to say 

to tell you how to be okay 

but you know there are no words 

for this kind of hurt 

so have courage, 

beating heart

its okay to fall apart

for the grace that finds and hold you 

will never be far. 

you are stronger, 

you are wiser 

than you ever thought

you could be 

you’re still breathing, 

you’re still breathing 

and that means everything 

that means everything 

when it’s 3 am 

your world spins 

you’re still breathing 

you’re still breathing 

and this 

alone 

is hope -MHN 

I read this poem during a break between classes, extremely stressed about the week and losing confidence by the minute. I wasn’t in the right mindset to continue my day with the energy that I usually have, but the second my eyes fell upon these lines, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. This poem gave me a little bit of sunshine that I was missing. It was exactly what I needed to remind me to slow down and focus on the simple things in life that can still bring us motivation and joy, like taking the time to literally just breathe. We tend to take these things for granted and look right past them. When really they bring us back to reality and provide a perspective that will encourage us to tackle life’s stressors with a more positive attitude, which makes all the difference in the world. 

I hope you can find peace within these words, as I did, or find your own form of motivation to keep you going through these gloomy days!