The lives that many of us lead today are filled with instant gratification, high-stress situations, and constant temptation. The pushing and pulling of each day can wear on a person, and you don’t have to have a high-powered job or be taking extra classes on campus to feel the tugging. It’s the 21st century, and appreciating what comes with it can be difficult.
As you feel this persistent tension in your life, whether it is in the car while stuck in traffic or during class when you’re asked a question to which you don’t know the answer, you may find yourself experiencing lower self-esteem and more stress. Those are the last things that you need to lose track of when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Next time that you find yourself grasping at air, think about this list. We’re sure you can appreciate at least one of these things when everything else is making you totally freak out.
1. There is plenty of air.
Some of the most incredible things are the most easily forgotten. For example, we live on a planet that has plenty of air for us to breathe. Without the combination of air that surrounds us now, we might not exist.
2. You can feel your pulse.
Somewhere, if you trace your body with your fingers along your neck or wrist, you can feel the rhythmic beating of your own heart. Steady, slow, or speedy, you can take a moment to appreciate this very real evidence that you are alive.
3. You can think about thinking.
Isn’t it neat that you can not only form thoughts, but then you can form thoughts about forming those thoughts? The mind is an incredible, difficult to define construct in this life and you are lucky enough to have one that is capable of many things.
4. You know that someone, somewhere loves you.
No matter how down you feel, someone out there has a heart that is happy to accept you. Whether this person is a friend or family member or someone you haven’t met yet, you will never go unloved.
5. Someone invented donuts.
This happened and it has been making people smile on rainy mornings for decades. Sure, it may not be the best thing for you but at least you can enjoy its taste when you’re in a crowded airport or at your desk when you have a dozen things to do that day. Savor it.
6. You’re able to access the Internet (if you’re reading this).
Could you imagine living in a time when there was no Internet? Most of our readers are pretty young, so we’ve never experienced life without the World Wide Web. The list of things that the Internet allows us access to is practically endless, and we are fortunate to be able to utilize this incredible tool in the present day.
7. There is music.
Whether you can hear every note or can only feel the beat, music can speak to you. Take the time to listen and feel a new song today.
8. People donate their time to help others.
In a world full of free will, there are people who are willing to take their precious time on Earth and spend it helping others improve their lives through any given number of means. That is a remarkable reality.
9. You have a memory of something that makes you happy.
Whether this memory is a new memory or a memory from long ago, you have the power to recall a moment that filled you with happiness. It is a secret weapon like no other when you are feeling overwhelmed and you never even have to speak about it to make use of it.
10. You’ve made it this far.
If you are reading this, you have survived in the womb, through infancy, through childhood, and beyond. You are a miracle. Soak up every bit of this experience and make every day from today forward a particularly excellent one.
