The story of a day's maximum

Introduction

A lot has happened in the past two weeks. A lot has been happening for years. And I wanted to write something. About the daily inhumanities, irresponsibility, and selfishness of frightened and lost children, awkwardly dressed as adults, roaming through the day, jumping from one role to another but never stepping into the role of themselves.

I wanted to write about the parent who is late taking their child to school, dragging them behind like a rag while yelling for them to hurry, leaping into the street from behind the bushes.

About the fancy woman with the SUV who absolutely must park in the middle of the kindergarten entrance, forcing the rest of the children and parents to go around onto the street and invent creative ways to get in.

About the elderly man who was stunned and confused when I stopped for him at the pedestrian crossing, then bowed in gratitude as if I were his angel.

About the doctor who refused to examine my seven-year-old son for a potential allergic reaction after a bee sting—because she wasn’t his designated physician.

About the stampede of people pushing to cut the line at the counter, while I, eight months pregnant (with diabetes and high blood pressure), waited patiently behind the yellow line.

About the lady who refused to pick up her dog's excrement from the grassy area between the apartment buildings, where kids play, because "there’s already street dog excrement there, so who would notice?"

I wanted to write. But I didn’t. Because it was a time for silence.

But now, it’s time for a different story. The story of the day’s maximum.

It goes like this...

You open your eyes with the thought that today, you will give your maximum for this day. Maybe this morning, your batteries are fully charged at 100%. Maybe you’re not feeling your best—let’s say you’re at 50%. It doesn’t matter. You will give your maximum for this day. If you're below zero, don’t even get up. Your body is telling you that you need rest. And honestly, nothing good happens on days like that—trust me.

And away with the story we go...

Make an effort to wake up on time, so you can respect all the activities and rituals you need to compose yourself and gain awareness. This includes taking your pet for a walk, if you have one—and if they need to go out, remember to clean up after them properly.

Wake the kids up well before it's time to leave. You know how much time they need—after all, that’s one of the main reasons you’re always late. Give them enough time to stretch, yawn, brush their teeth, get distracted halfway to searching their socks, fight over what to wear, and finally get out the door.

Have enough time to get them to school at least ten minutes early. Wait politely at traffic lights. Cross only when the light turns green. Don’t get into conflicts with other drivers or other traffic participants. Resist the urge to honk impatiently while cutting people off left and right. Have enough time to park properly—without blocking the school entrance.

Once you’ve safely dropped off the kids, play music that relaxes and makes you happy. Continue your drive to work at the speed limit, staying in the middle or left lane, while keeping the right lane free for public transport carrying many other people and children to their destinations. Remind yourself, some places don’t have traffic lights, but they do have pedestrian crossings. When you approach one, simply slow down.

This applies to you driving a motorcycle, a bicycle, a scooter, a motor cultivator, a dumpster on wheels, a unicycle, or anything with wheels you’ve decided to use as transportation. This applies to you pedestrian as well. Cross the street only at designated crossings. Pay attention to traffic lights. Even if the light is green, look left and right before stepping forward.

When you get to work, give your best. Use your skilled hands, your intellect, your effort, your childlike curiosity, and your experience-driven desire to create. If you don’t like your job, your workplace, or your colleagues—for the love of everything, change it. Change your job, change your workplace, change something. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s possible. You always have options and that’s the most important thing. Especially nowadays, when we have easy access to information, accumulated knowledge, new skills, and networking opportunities.

Let’s agree on something:

Take out your earbuds. Stop staring at your phone. Life is happening around you and you need all your senses engaged to become aware of this.

When you’re waiting, stand behind the yellow line.

Keep a respectful distance—at least half a meter—from the person in front of you.

If you have more, share.

If you are in need, ask for help.

And whatever you did today, by the end of the day, you finally return home safely. You hug your loved ones аnd you go to bed. Proud of yourself for giving your maximum for this day, you will fall asleep peacefully and easily, without the help of mind-numbing or soul-dulling legal or semi-legal substances. Not because you don’t have worries, fears, doubts, frustrations, or pain. But precisely because you do, tomorrow, you will wake up and again give your maximum for that day.

Like every day.

Like every one of us.

Epilogue

Whatever you feel, whatever you think is limiting you, stopping you, or hurting you and making you believe that today, of all days, you can’t give your maximum, it doesn’t come from outside.

It doesn’t come from the cold rain or the hot sun.

It doesn’t come from your partner, your kids, or your parents.

It doesn’t come from your neighbor, your colleagues, or your friends.

It doesn’t come from the clock.

It comes from you.

And when you decide you want to express it, understand it, awaken it, dissect it, overcome it—

Just ask for help.