Winning Days

Every day is a singular challenge, each one a game for you to win or lose.

I've won a Wednesday in a shower after playing in the snow,

Won a Monday playing chess well into Tuesday;

I've won at Thursdays in a hotel restaurant;

I won a Friday with a near-perfect score on a beach once — there were even fireworks. 

Won several Saturdays in the ocean, or on it; and

Today I won a Sunday first thing on the Boston Commons, doing taiji in the autumn breeze — green tea latte for a treat — a friend sent me a beautiful song to listen to — and just to make sure it stays won, I finished some work, cleaned the house, and will go hiking in the woods this afternoon. 

What's it feel like to win a day?  You have to notice, have to get used to telling yourself, "I won at this!" when it happens. 

That's not an obvious thing:  I went many years knowing full well when I lost, but barely acknowledging even the most stand-up-and-cheer-worthy wins.  There's a huge difference between generally acknowledging that days can be won, and making sure to acknowledge it when you win them.

I've played with the idea of points-systems and such — for instance, a friend posited that you get a star for every shower you have to take that day, since showering extra usually means you did something fun or treacherous or sexy.  Most days are one-star then; but a day when you take a long bike ride and go swimming or gardening and get some action would be a four-star day!  I think that's a reasonable system in general, and I can think of others too — Chains.cc would make a great framework for one, if you wanted to handroll one and document it.

But I don't think I need a system like that myself.  The mere act of giving myself credit for winning was so foreign to me that once I learned it, I learned it all the way.  I know when I've won in one big gushrush moment that always makes me grin like an idiot, and sometimes laugh out loud to myself.  (Oh yes, I'm turning, ever steadily, into one of those old ladies, with the gleeful incontinence of spirit and the mad cackle.  Bwah ha ha ha!)

Don't let the seven names fool you, though — each day, each game is different, and each must be won on its own.  There are tricks and guidelines and even the occasional rule, sure; but you can't win for all future Saturdays any more than you can eat for all future breakfasts.  And it's for the best that way, of course — more winning for everybody!

EXERCISE:  Come up with some things you think would be necessary or sufficient for winning a day.  (Feel free to do this for different broad categories of days, since what wins a work day may be very different from what wins a weekend or vacation day.)  And the next time you win one, tell somebody!