Sometimes when I am feeling down about my life or my circumstances I need a reminder that things are not so bad and I have a lot to be grateful for.
Luckily, the universe is always ready to show me that things can be a lot worse.
The other day, for instance, I was doing homework and mentally complaining to myself about what an uncomfortable situation I was in. I felt very overloaded and just wanted to relax for the evening. Just as I was lamenting my own victimhood because of my master’s program, the power suddenly flickered. Our electricity went off and back on before it ultimately disappeared. Without the electricity, I lost my ability to do my homework and all of the lights in the apartment. Unfortunately, this also meant that I lost all indoor air quality control measures. Our AC unit stopped working, our thermostat was completely blank, and there were not even fans available to circulate the hot and humid air inside of the apartment. All of a sudden, I was surrounded by stagnant and muggy indoor air. I struggled through a few hours trying to stay comfortable without the air conditioning. I lit a few candles so that I could navigate the space. However, I realized that those tiny flames were contributing to the uncomfortable indoor air issue.That’s when I finally gave up and just laid perfectly still in the balmy air – accepting my sweaty fate for the rest of the stagnant night. That’s when I realized, things could always be a lot worse… I could have no air conditioning or electrical conveniences. Just then, the power and AC unit roared back to life.