The funny thing about life is that sometimes, it feels like absolute shit. We get stuck in our own heads, things pile up, and life just seems worse than it really is. I don’t mean to cut down someone’s struggles. Life can be a real shitshow, and just because someone else might have it a lot worse, it doesn’t change the hand you were dealt or the situation you’re currently dealing with. Someone else’s misfortune isn’t going to make yours any better. Sometimes, all we can do is celebrate life’s little successes and victories to keep us from completely giving up on ourselves. The one thing we need to remind ourselves is this: you’re doing better than you think you are.
If this morning, you woke up, then you’re already doing better than you think you are. If you got dressed wearing clean clothes, made coffee and breakfast in your kitchen in the apartment you rent or the house you own, then you’re doing better than you think you are. If you had access to clean water to drink and bathe in, you’re doing better than you think you are.
If you got into your car and your car had gas in it, and you drove that car to a job where you’re employed and making money, you’re doing better than you think you are. If you were able to feed yourself a lunch or dinner with a roof over your head, you’re doing better than you think you are.
If you were able to pay all of your bills this month, no matter how much scraping and budgeting that you had to do and you were able to do all of it on time, then you’re doing better than you think you are. If you have people who care about you and your well-being, who love you and want to see you succeed, and you have people you care about, then you’re doing better than you think you are.
If you made it through the day and got home safely to your family or your cat or whatever, you’re doing okay. If you have a bed to sleep on, a TV to watch as you fall asleep, and WiFi to use to surf the internet as you lay in that bed, then you’re doing alright.
If you have all of these things – if you’ve accomplished all of these – then your life doesn’t suck nearly enough as you think it does.
Life doesn’t have to suck, but always remember that it could be a whole lot worse. Like I said, that doesn’t change your situation. It doesn’t make anything any easier to know that someone else has it way worse, just appreciate what you have while you have it. Your struggles are valid. Shit happens and things get hard, but if we can remember the smaller victories, even if it’s waking up in the morning or remembering to pay the electric bill on time, then it makes the tough shit a little bit easier to deal with. Sometimes it’s hard to find a reason to want to get out of the bed in the morning. It’s hard to find a reason to smile when it feels like you just can’t win. When shit hits the fan, instead of letting it define you, drag you down, and beat you with a metaphorical baseball bat, rise above it. Find something that will make you feel successful and like a winner every single day, even if it’s just finding hope from getting through the day. Whatever is troubling you, I hope it passes soon. Chin up, kid.
You’re doing better than you think you are.
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