By most accounts, I had a bad week last week. Gas prices jumped $0.08 the night before my low gas light came on, I lost my debit card, I broke my glasses, I wasn't awarded a contract that I really wanted, and my office plant died. Nope, not my best week by a long shot. Even so, I managed to stay happy and positive all week. For you see, a friend of mine had a much worse week; she had to bury her mother.
Each time something would happen, sure I'd get annoyed or frustrated, but then I would think of my friend. I knew that she would gladly trade places with me. Her loss reminded me to keep things in perspective, a viewpoint I think that many of us lose from time to time.
This past week made me remember that no matter how bad things may seem to me, there is always someone who is worse off than me. Knowing this, makes me that much more grateful for what I do have. So I lost my debit card, big deal, I can get it replaced; gas prices jumped - at least I can afford to put some in my tank; broke my glasses? They can be fixed. My dead plant, well, there's no resurrecting that one, but at least I enjoyed it for a while.
I have a quote from the Dalai Lama that I used to have stuck to my monitor at work: Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. It kept me grounded for many years as I dealt with some things in my personal life. I think it might be time to put it back up.
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