When I hear somebody sigh, ‘Life is hard,’ I am always tempted to ask, ‘Compared to what?’

We have a tendency to complain about the most insignificant stuff. And maybe it’s not you, as I am referring to ‘we’ as the majority of the human population. I am sure, even if you can’t relate to this yourself, you know someone like this. 🙂

People drive themselves crazy over being stuck in traffic, rainy days, overcooked steak, too much work, their friend getting a better car than them, someone is earning more money, etc. You get the gist…:) And the only reason they feel what they feel is that they have assigned a certain meaning to all of these above. All that it takes to change your experience from negative to positive is to change what something means to you.

And for a quick reality check, compare yourself to less fortunate people. If you are stressing out about overcooked steak, compare yourself to those who don’t have any food. If you are stressing out about too much work, think about those who can’t find a job. If you are upset about being stuck in traffic, instead of being home with your family, think about those who are really lonely and don’t have anyone in their life. And if you could use this time that you are in traffic to learn something new or to call and catch up with someone close to you, for whom you usually can’t find the time, you would completely change the meaning to this event and it will change your experience.

We must analyze and filter what we are saying to ourselves, and acknowledge all of our blessings. We have to appreciate the little things in life because one day you might look back and realize they were actually big things.