It’s Going to be a Good Day
April 21st, 2025
Writer: Amany Sayed
Editor: Talia Kohn
“Fake it ‘til you make it. We’ve all heard it - from our moms, our friends, our moms’ friends - and most of us are tired of it. When you say a phrase enough times, it almost starts to lose its meaning. As a result, this phrase is often either ridiculed or forgotten about completely. However, sometimes the simplest of advice can be the most true.
Your brain, one of your most powerful tools, tends to believe whatever you tell it. If you pretend something’s true, it’ll start to become true before you even realize it. Recently, I’ve decided that every day is going to be a good day, regardless of the events that take place. It started one random night as I was looking forward to the day ahead of me. I was brushing my teeth and prepping my outfit in my head, mentally getting ready for what I was planning on doing, and for some reason, I found myself saying, “Tomorrow’s going to be a good day.”
Thankfully, the communal bathroom was empty at the time - talking to myself in front of a stranger might’ve ended my college career. By most standards, I did not have a good day. I would even go as far as to say that particular day was below average. I woke up late, and as I was washing my face in the morning, the custodian walked in, about to start cleaning. Surprisingly, despite the string of inconveniences, my mood remained steady. I wasn’t upset or cranky, and looking back on everything that had happened, I almost forgot the bad parts of my day. The moments that normally would have soured my entire day and even bleed into the rest of my week, seemed so small and inconsequential in the larger context of my overall good day. It felt like I had rewired my outlook, and that realization stuck with me - that by simply telling myself that I was going to have a good day would allow me to. Of course, we all have days that aren’t the best. Sometimes, bad things happen. However, I believe that there is something good in every day, no matter how small. Ten bad minutes don’t make a bad day, but maybe one happy moment can make a good day. Every time I tell myself that the upcoming day will be good, whether out loud or in my head, I find it easier and easier to believe. It’s the same way smiling improves your mood – if you force yourself to find the good in everyday life, you’ll find that maybe it’s not so difficult after all.
The fake it till you make it mentality has helped me through many obstacles in my life. This mid-sentence doesn’t just work for mood - it applies to confidence too. When I am nervous before public speaking, I don’t wait to feel confident. I act confident, and my brain catches up. It also helps to literally stand up straighter. My mom always tells me to do a “Wonder Woman pose” before I have any sort of public speaking endeavor. It’s exactly what it sounds like – you stand up straight with your hands on your hips for a few seconds. I made fun of the method at first, but just like convincing yourself it’s going to be a good day, convincing your brain you’re ready for anything through your body language can truly take you far.
Everyone is always looking for the secret to happiness, like maybe if you just eat a certain food or go to bed at a certain time, all your problems will miraculously be solved. However, happiness is not something we discover but something we decide to incorporate into every single day. Perhaps the secret to happiness isn’t something we find, but something we choose, one good day at a time.
