If you're anything like me, you wake up every day and think, "Alright, today's the day when I'm going to figure out how to get my life under control."

And then, every day, life throws a few bumps (or many!) at you.

A lot of our pain comes from trying to control every single thing that happens in our lives. It's an impossible task we've set for ourselves: my day can only be a good one if these specific things happen, in the specific way that I want them to happen.

Here's a different approach: embrace the bumps.

Reset your expectations: today will be, like most days, a bumpy one. And amidst those bumps, there is a lot of opportunity for joy, growth, adventure, and happiness. Life doesn't have to be smooth, planned, or 'figured out' in order to be enjoyable and meaningful.

Say to yourself:

"Today will be bumpy. That doesn't mean I've done anything wrong. It's the nature of life. Today, I'm going to embrace my day, no matter what happens, and find joy in living it."