"Life's a ____, and then you die." Insert the expletive in the blank that many associate with the statement. We know life is hard. Raising a family is hard. Going after your dreams is hard. But you're doing a great job at it! Seriously! You're honestly doing much better than you think. Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it. Just ask yourself these eight questions.
1. Are you reading this article?
If so, you have a valuable tool at your disposal. The power of the internet is limitless. You can learn about anything you desire, connect with old friends, explore job opportunities, search for support communities, and network with people all around the world. Not to mention that your vision is intact too.
2. Did you eat something today?
One out of eight people in the world are suffering from hunger, so be thankful that you’re not one of them.
3. Do you hate your job?
At least you have one, unlike the 6.26 million people who were unemployed and looking for work in July 2022 in the United States.
If you have dreams of self-employment (and enough savings to support yourself), I’m sure an unemployed person would be happy to trade places with you so that you can pursue your passion.
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4. Did you just scroll down to read this?
I don’t know about you, but I’m glad I have fingers and extremities like hands and fingers to do things with, unlike the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have some type of amputation.
5. Did you fail at something recently?
Failure is the most effective teacher you’ll ever meet, so be happy you learned a lesson. Stop looking at failure as a bad thing and see it as a learning opportunity.
Improve yourself in some way every time you fail and eventually, you will become so developed that the only option left is success.
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6. Are you mad at your family for something they did or said?
Before you answer that question, think about how many family members you have. While you may have lost some, just as many of us, you can still call a few "family."
That's not the case for many children who are in shelters because their "family" isn't around. Cherish your family, even during the bad times. We all make mistakes, especially those closest to us.
7. Could you stand up right now if you wanted to?
Movement should be an expression of joy and thankfulness. You have working limbs and a body that can carry you wherever you want to go in this beautiful world.
The next time you catch yourself putting off exercise, think about all the people in the world who are confined to wheelchairs. Some people don’t move because they can’t, so move because you can.
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8. Did you just understand what you just read?
This is proof that your brain is working properly. You are poised to create, decipher, understand and overcome. You have all the tools needed to accomplish your goals: your brain.
We challenge you to make a list of every specific thing in your life that you’re happy about today. You’ll discover you’re doing better than you think. What are you thankful for right this second?
That's it. Smile and know that you're awesome, in so many ways.