Tell Yourself How Lucky You Are

Perspective helps. Yes, the economy sucks. We're cutting back here and there, and I have friends who have lost their jobs. But still - I live in a house that 95% of the world would consider a mansion. I see my kids for hours and hours every day; there are workers in China who only see their kids once a year. I can write whatever I want here without fear of being put in jail or executed. My kids have never gone hungry - and most likely never will. There are probably families who could live on what I throw in the trash every day. 4,000 children die every day because their drinking water isn't safe to drink. Read that again - 4,000 kids. Just like ours. Every. Single. Day. And while we're putting off buying a new car, our "old" one still has a gazillion working airbags and fold-down seats. Sure, I recycle, have a programmable thermostat, and stick to a mostly vegetarian (sushitarian?) diet. But I'm still a middle-class American, which is pretty much like winning the lottery, when you think about it. Sure, I'll still get upset about Terrell Owens and my March Madness bracket and the fact that I really want a Diet Coke but I'm really trying not to drink aspartame. But a bit of perspective makes a difference.