I just came home from a 4 km barefoot run in pitch dark. The bus wasn’t coming before another 20 minutes so I decided to use the opportunity to run. It had rained a couple of hours earlier, so the asphalt was wet and cool.

When I got home I took a cold shower. We have to make fire to get heat in the water tanks at home, and many times when I get back from a run, we don’t have any hot water so it’s just to step into the shower and get it over with. I didn’t mind though. And it was when I was standing in the shower, not minding it at all, that it got to me that there were many things I don’t mind today that I would’ve gotten very irritated by, just 2 years ago (or even more recently).

First off, just a couple of months ago I didn’t like cold showers at all and avoided them at all costs, even on hot summer days. But one day when I was in Korea 2 months ago, someone forgot to tell me about the hot water switch when I was alone in the apartment, so I stepped into the cold shower. And started laughing. It was such a funny situation that it was all I could do. If I’m gonna do something less enjoyable, I might as well make the most of it! And since that day I sometimes even willingly take cold showers even when there’s hot water in the tanks.

One other thing, is being barefoot. Until 2 years ago I really didn’t like being barefoot. I wanted my foot armor in shape of a shoe. It felt safe and stable. But at some time I started to enjoy being barefoot. Being more natural, not wearing shoes or socks (when it’s not too cold of course, that is), and lately I’ve been more and more into barefoot running. From not liking to be barefoot to prefer running without shoes even when I have them! It feels fantastic and I smile when I think about it.

It feels really good having made this progress in attitude towards things in life. Big ones and small ones. I don’t even sigh when I on rare occasions spill my cup of hot coffee over myself in the morning (don’t ask why I spill my coffee, I can’t answer), I just laugh over the silly situation and clean it up, feeling almost better than before!

Being able to laugh about things that might seem bad at first glance, but really is just silly or funny, have helped me relax and feel better. Good or bad is all about attitude and perspective, and you can chose whether you want to look on something as good or as bad. If something’s happened, it’s happened, and it won’t change because you don’t like it, so make the best of it and find the good or funny parts and laugh at it!