My alarm woke me up while I was in the middle of a crazy dream; it was the one where I was on The New York Times bestseller list. It’s a real dream and it’s a crazy one because I don’t have anything published yet. I thought my book, Don’t Let Your “But” Get in the Way could make the NYT list, but so far, the only list it’s on is the “More Silent Than Crickets in Winter” list. I have other books on that list as well. In fact, all of them made it on that list, but I won’t let that stop me from writing and dreaming.

The noise of my alarm brought me back to reality. My foot had fallen asleep during the night, only I didn’t know it until I fell on the floor as I got out of bed. I also completely misjudged my distance to the wall and banged my hand while reaching for the light switch. I stood there for a moment, one foot numb and tingling. I stared at the red nail polish I had just chipped off, wondering if this was going to be a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”

I smudged mascara on my face while putting on my makeup. As I leaned over the sink to get a closer look, I was startled by something strange coming out the top of my head. My hair is dark auburn with blonde highlights, and it’s curly. What was that silver thing sticking straight up on my head? I quickly found the tweezers and plucked what I thought was a lone silver strand, only to find it wasn’t alone. I guess my past attempts at turning my crazy dream into reality was taking a toll on me, and I plucked out more gray hairs than I care to share. On top of that, my blush was nowhere to be found. That’s the moment I realized this wasn’t a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,” but it was probably going to be “just another ordinary day.”

I could tell because I tore the left hem of my pants while fighting to get my foot through. The cute yellow jacket I had picked out, which perfectly matched my now torn pants, had sweater fuzzies all over it. Not only that, the sole on my favorite pair of black shoes was starting to come off. Yep, this was going to be “just another ordinary day.”

That’s exactly what it was, because, as usual, I couldn’t find my favorite travel coffee cup. After choosing a different one, I spilled coffee on the counter while putting the lid on it. Later, as I was about to leave for work, I splattered white toothpaste all over my gray t-shirt while brushing my teeth. This was “just another ordinary day.”

Or was it?

I was attempting to clean the toothpaste splatters from my shirt when I looked in the mirror and noticed the sunrise printed on my t-shirt along with a word. This word hit my soul harder than my hand had hit the wall, the coffee had hit the counter, and the water was hitting the sink as I stood there. I turned the water off, took a deep breath, and possibly even blushed while the word silently spoke volumes.

“Grateful.”

I may have lost my blush, but I could be grateful that lipstick works just as well. I could be grateful I remembered a razor-sharp YouTube hack and was able to “shave” my jacket. Goodbye, sweater fuzzies! I had duct tape, which wouldn’t fix my sole, but did fix my hem, and I could be grateful that no one would be able to see I had used hot pink tape.

What’s more, I was able to get the cap off the superglue bottle, which meant I could indeed fix my sole! Bless your soul and thank you very much, superglue inventor!

It dawned on me that I had a red Sharpie sitting on my desk at work. I could quickly “fix” my chipped nails. I started doing a little happy dance in my freshly taped pants because this was not “just another ordinary day.” This was going to be “an extraordinary day.”

I could make it “an extraordinary day” by being grateful.

Grateful for waking up, even if I had more gray hair. Grateful for Q-tips that remove mascara, lipstick that doubles as blush, and razors that shave fuzzies off my clothes. Grateful to be standing in front of a mirror cleaning toothpaste speckles off the faded t-shirt I chose to wear on this day. A shirt I thrifted for only two bucks that has the very word I want to not only feel but be—grateful. 

My busted seams didn’t mean busted dreams. Not only can I be grateful for duct tape, but I can also be grateful I have a job that pays the bills while I pursue my crazy dreams. My busted sole may have needed a super glue repair, but I can be grateful my broken soul has been restored by God’s grace.

Regardless of what each day brings, I can choose to be grateful. That mindset can make any day “an extraordinary day”.

“This is the day the Lord has made,” and you and I will never have this day again. Don’t let your excuses, or your “buts” get in the way of chasing your dreams. Instead, choose to be grateful. It won’t solve your problems, but it will help you have a better perspective while you face your problems and pursue your dreams.

And if your problems can be fixed with Sharpies, duct tape, or super glue, let me know. I’ve got extra of those ordinary items, and you never know, they just might help you make your day extraordinary, too.

Amanda Hinds

Amanda Hinds is an Arkansas state-certified Master teacher and has spent the past 22 years teaching 7th-grade science. She writes in rhyme the majority of the time and has created a series for teens called The Bean Girls and Me. She dreams of seeing her books in the hands of 12-15 year olds and on the shelves in schools and public libraries around the world. She enjoys spending time with her husband, young adult sons, and cats. She hopes her writing brings a smile to your face and encourages your heart.