I have a Good Life

There's a battle that goes on in the human psyche that I am sure a lot of us experience.

It can be argued that if you live in Western civilisation, have a bit of money in the bank, a roof over your head, and food on your table, then you're doing okay in life. Of course, on a day-to-day basis, we take the pure fundamentals for granted. We can literally go to a tap that's 2 feet away and have a cup of clean-ish water. Not everyone in this world has that luxury. And there is something about having a first-world problem. As if any problem we have in our privileged lives can't equate to the devastating existence some humans on this earth face every single day.

And I really do believe it's important to count your blessings. Not everyone gets to wake up in the morning, not everyone gets to see their family regularly, not everyone thinks tomorrow is guaranteed. As sad and tragic as that is, to think that people live a life on the complete other spectrum of yours, dare I say that there is a certain beauty in the simplicity of life. Being able to watch a sunrise, take a stroll in a park, embrace a loved one. Small things, tiny things we do and cherish that make our lives worth living. Each tiny piece, part of a wider jigsaw that is our existence and our reason for being.

And I really do need to tell myself that life is good, irrespective of how bad it can seemingly get. And I'm by no means diminishing or minimizing the catastrophic events that all of us go through but everything we experience is part of a bigger design, and the hurt and heartache we endure, we do it because we know there are better days to come, or hope there are at least.

Sometimes I'll get home and literally just sit on my sofa for a good 15 minutes thinking about everything in my life that's going wrong. This can be anything like career, finances, friendships, relationships, health, etc. And it's so easy to get stuck in a spiral thinking that your life is crap, everyone is out to get you, and you just wonder why nothing can go right for you. But who am I to think like this? Yes, I can feel sorry for myself at times, I do have very real issues that do affect me, but at the same time, life is good. I'm writing this having got back from a trip abroad, I went and viewed a car I was interested in buying, all genuinely good things.

And how many times do I come home, sit on my couch, and think about all the good that's happening in my life? 0... nada. And the reason is actually quite simple. Because when things are going right and well, our participation in that is actually limited. If things are going right, then we just carry on with what we're doing. But when the opposite happens... we're now required to take action. We can't just let things carry on the way they're going, and it leads to overthinking and trying to devise ways to change whatever dire situation we've found ourselves in.

Slight segue... have you ever asked a friend if they're happy? I did it the other day, not sure why, but I was even surprised at myself. And I'll write more about this in a later blog post, but your "happy" friends... probably aren't all that happy.

And if you're going to take one thing from this post, let it be this. Your problems do matter, no matter what they are, and even if they objectively pale in comparison to someone else's. Your mind is a battleground, and something as inconsequential as breaking a nail can sometimes take its toll. And we've got to take stock, we've got to count our blessings, we have 9 other nails still intact, we can't compare our pain to others, everyone's battle is their own. People can join the fight, but we're the only ones who can ultimately win it.

There'll come a day when you're able to purge the thoughts that hinder your outlook on your own life. But right now, welcome the bad to amplify your "good life" and hopefully share in that with others.