Tyler Street: Good Day Practice

Tyler Street shares about how he chooses to approach each new day.

I would describe myself as happy. Yet, in the rush of daily life, I noticed a nagging truth. I was ending each night exhausted and sometimes even down. When I looked back, my day was often filled with the things I loved most.

How were my head and my heart in such different places? Even though I had checked the boxes on my to-do list and spent time with the people I loved most, I hadn’t fully experienced them. Getting caught up in the hustle prevented me from enjoying what I was doing.

This realization rocked me. It made me wonder if I didn’t know how to be happy, or worse, if I was running from something. But after some introspection and a little grace, I saw that I wasn’t giving myself the chance to experience my own life.

I discovered that three simple tools could help me: presence, pace and perspective.

The first thing I needed to do was be fully present with whatever I was engaged in. If I was playing with my kids, that meant putting down my phone, getting on the floor and zooming the cars around. 

The next part of the solution was pace. I needed to take my foot off the gas pedal. Slowing down relaxed me and freed me to relish what I was doing. Living my whole life on a time clock was adding to my stress and keeping me from showing up.

The last piece was perspective. I started taking a moment at the end of each day to review the highlights. I noticed there were so many magical moments. If something wasn’t perfect, I could reflect on that too. This gave me a more balanced outlook, rooted in honesty with myself.

I can’t truthfully say that I’m always happy. But I can say that I see the joy in my life more clearly. And I’m filled with the gratitude that comes from greeting each moment with patience, curiosity and an open heart.

With a Perspective, I’m Tyler Street.

Tyler Street is a writer, musician and men’s coach exploring authenticity, creativity, spirituality and masculinity. He is the author of Masculine Spirit: Awaken Your True Nature.