Thoughts on Grey Day

Hi there! The 14th day of the Month of Eating is not a regular day in Neopia. Grey Day takes place on this date. It's a day where everyone feels blue (even though the theme color of that day is grey) and hope is a prohibited word. Some neopians might think that Grey Day is centered on the celebration of grey-painted pets and grey-related items. That is partially true. However, there’s simply no way of avoiding the fact that Grey Day also affects the mood of everyone in Neopia. You could be happiest faerie in the world (or even Fyora herself), but on Grey Day you’ll find yourself feeling the moodiness that permeates this time of year.

In this article, we'll talk about the meaning of Grey Day and analyze some aspects of it that aren't commonly explained. I believe that sadness, even though it brings negative emotions when it comes down on us, must be discussed. So let’s get started.

1. DON’T KEEP IT TO YOURSELF

There is no doubt that Grey Day is all about feeling miserable and reliving unpleasant memories. We know that for sure (just look at the name of the holiday). However, there is one simple thing that some people don’t know about the sorrow that grips their minds during Grey Day. You don’t have to keep your feelings to yourself.

For instance, whether you’re feeling sad because you missed a rare item during a shop re-stock or just feel numb due to an annual avatar you forgot to get, I know something that might help you. Get it off your chest. Talk about what happened with other neopians. By talking to other people, you organize your own thoughts and perceptions about what happened. Sometimes, people will even show you aspects of the situation that you didn’t see in the first place. It’s really important to have somebody that supports you during hard moments. What else are neofriends for?

My advice is this: try to put into words what you’ve been through. Doing that will help you look at the situation you’ve been struggling with a little differently. Even if it does nothing to actually change the cause of your suffering, adjusting the way you think about what happened will almost always make you feel better.

2. BE CAREFUL WITH NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

Sometimes, when something bad happens to us, we tend to overlook the situation it happened in and make it seem even worse than it actually was. We start thinking of all the things that we could have done differently to avoid whatever undesirable result occurred. Sometimes that’s fine, but other times we just couldn’t have avoided the circumstances that made everything go wrong. We don’t have perfect control over our lives.

But then the issue ensues when we STILL blame ourselves for what happened. Think about it: you’re feeling pessimistic because you reached an avatar score and when you were going to send it your connection failed. It probably feels really bad. In this scenario, there’s a clear loss. However there’s also something good to look at. The bright side is that at least you could reach the avatar score and that’s what matters the most! If could accomplish a certain score once, then in most cases, you’ll certainly be able to do it twice! Don’t give up. Instead, try again, because eventually you’ll be able to get that precious game avatar. Always remember this: if have already achieved something once before, there is no doubt that that goal can be achieved again.

3. BAD DAYS HAPPEN

Everyone knows this feeling; everyone has these days. Sometimes, feeling sad is natural. It’s a part of being human (or a neopet). We can’t always be eternally happy—because then we wouldn’t know how to appreciate the special things that bring us joy. What would we think of our good days if we didn’t know what bad ones felt like? Bad days provide contrast to life, and that contrast allows us to cherish the things that make us happy much more than if we always had access to them. Imagine if you were always getting avatars on Neopia, with little effort involved. It might be nice, but you’d never learn to appreciate those avatars or recognize just how they mean to you.

When you’re feeling sad or having a not-so-perfect day, don’t let it bring you down. Even if it might be painful, that day has a purpose. Instead, think about the things that make you truly happy and know that they’ll soon be in your life again. We have to be patient and accept our bad moments—knowing, of course, that they won’t last forever.

4. SADNESS CAN HAVE GOOD ASPECTS

Even if it doesn’t always feel that way, sadness is healthy. Humans are creatures that experience ups and downs, highs and lows. Those different feelings are part of what make us who we are. Sadness provides a second perspective on life, one that is very different than happiness. It makes us reflect on life in a different way than if we were happy and helps us view the world from a different angle. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to be feeling down. One has to remember that everything in the world has at least two sides, and different emotions are often what let you understand those different sides. For example, when you’re re-stocking, you always want to be able to grab rare and expensive items. But if you were always successful, how would anyone else be? When you miss grabbing nice things, it hurts for a second, but you must remember that someone else (who’s equally as good a person as you) was able to get it instead. Think of the happiness it brought them! Though it brings you momentary sadness, keep in mind that it brought someone else lots of joy, and that you can always try again.

5. HAPPINESS DOESN’T ALWAYS START AUTHENTICALLY

Every time we meet a new neopian, what’s the first thing we do? We greet them by saying something nice. “Hi,” “Hello,” and “Nice to meet you” are all common phrases in these situations. Even though we might not actually be happy to meet these new people, habit has us say something positive to them. People expect us to be friendly and polite. So the thing to remember is that we express happiness even when we are not exactly feeling it—but often times that brings legitimate happiness. Who hasn’t made friends with a stranger once they got past awkward introductions and really got to know them?

On the other hand, sadness is always a genuine feeling. Nobody likes feeling miserable. A way to combat that, however, is by trying to act in a manner that makes you happy. Acting happy can lead to real happiness—just like in the example with a friend. By acting positively, you spread positivism around you. And most of the time, that positivism ends up cheering you up.

Well, I guess that's all for today. That being said I'm not really sure of how should I say goodbye. Am I supposed to say "Happy Grey Day!"? It doesn't make any sense at all, since Grey Day is the time let out the despair you feel in Neopia. No happiness is allowed! Perhaps I should say "Have a terrible Grey Day!" instead. But that's kind of creepy. I think it’s better to just say something like "See you!" instead.

I hope you had a great time reading this! Bye, guys!