Sometimes life can be difficult to navigate and things always seem darkest before the dawn. I’ve had my fair share of difficulties in the past few years, and not all of them related to COVID-19. But if you take the time to slow down and pay attention, there can be some nuggets of golden wisdom among the dust. I recently reconnected with a friend from my childhood and he posted something that resonated with me. As a result, I’ve decided to share it here.
I wasn’t able to track the source of where he got it, and I’ll be translating it from French, but the message should be pretty clear. We often take things for granted and especially when things are rough, we ignore the good things in life altogether. With that thought in mind, I present for your consideration, 10 signs that things in life are actually going well:
- You Have A Roof Over Your Head: It’s appropriate that this one is first on the list. A safe home to live in is something that not everyone has the benefit of having. I can admit that even I have often taken going home at the end of the day for granted;
- You Have Food In Your Stomach: Next to having shelter, an empty stomach is a problem faced by more and more people. One wouldn’t think this would be a problem in modern society, but it is;
- You Have A Heartbeat: This one resonates most with me, because my brother and I have fought against health issues for our entire lives. The bottom line is that if you’re still alive, you can still fight the good fight;
- You Have Water: Hydration is the key to life. I’m sure you’ve all heard that you’ll live longer without food than you will without water. And that’s pretty accurate. Not everyone has access to clean drinking water;
- You Have Access To Personal Hygiene: Right up there with the previous four points, self-cleanliness is often taken for granted but provides so many benefits in one’s life BESIDES smelling nice…;
- You Have Friends And Loved Ones: There’s nothing worse than going through this life alone. Even people who claim to be loners will usually yearn for companionship now and again, so just imagine how lonely it is when you have no one in your life;
- People Love You: Okay, so this one kind of goes hand in hand with the previous point. But the lesson here is that the people in your life love you, and that’s not to be taken for granted;
- You’re Doing Your Best: This one is pretty subjective, but as long as you’re doing your best at whatever you do in your life, you’re doing okay. Trying and failing doesn’t make life tragic. Trying, failing and refusing to try again is the problem;
- You Have Clean Clothing: It’s one thing to be clean yourself, but being dressed in clean, properly-fitting clothes is not just a matter of image but a matter of health and wellbeing;
- You’re Still Breathing: I once read somewhere that if you want a simple test to know if you’ve completed all the challenges in life, it’s this: if you’re still alive, you haven’t. No matter what comes at you, always remember that you’re still breathing. You’re still alive. And as long as you’re still alive, there’s always hope.
I look at this nifty little list and I recognize that I’m blessed with all ten of those points. I have a home, a family, food in my belly and clothes on my back. I know my family loves me and have a great support system. And despite everything I’ve been through in recent years, I’m still breathing. I’m still here. It’s important not to take any of it for granted. Not everyone has the benefit of everything listed here. ☯
The Blogging Buddhist 