Does life suck right now?

Your work life?

Your family life?

Everything?

Are you sure?

I was having one of “those days” when I got a text from my friend Eric with THIS picture…

(cue the song Mr DJ)

“Cause you had a bad day
You’re taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don’t know
You tell me don’t lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don’t lie
You had a bad day”

Writer(s): Bill Berry, Daniel Powter, Michael Stipe, Michael Mills, Peter Buck
Copyright: Night Garden Music, Song 6 Music

 All of the sudden my little “problems” didn’t seem to be that big of a deal. I mean, I was sitting on my back patio in Northern California looking at THIS view when I got the text.

How bad can my problems be REALLY?

Just a few days before I got the picture from my Eric we were spending time riding in some of Northern California’s most beautiful scenery like the Avenue of the Giants.

Napa Valley.

On a day like this life doesn’t suck

In some cases even driving into a tree is AWESOME…

Or when you show up “just in time” for the fog to roll in…

Life is about perspective isn’t it?

Ewan McGregor, in his documentary, Long Way Round made a comment I’ll never forget after he visited a Unicef project on that trip…   “seeing these little children, what they go through, living in squander and all that makes a multi-million dollar movie seem like f*king rubbish.”

Things like 2 year old children in Siberia living life in storm drains helps bring perspective ya know?

Not too long ago these words REALLY came out of my mouth…

“Man, I hate the fact that I can’t get a cell signal from the pool house” 

I wish I was joking but I’m not.

As soon as those words reverberated in my ears it hit me…

REALLY?!?!?!?!?!

I just said that?

We joke about “first world problems” a lot but in reality our “problems” are just very minor inconveniences.

VERY minor.

Do yourself a favor right now…

Take the next 30 seconds and review your “bad” day.

Seriously, pause for one moment and think about where you are, what you have, and ask yourself this question.

“Is my bad day REALLY a bad day”?

Pause.

Wait for it…

Is your 30 seconds up yet?

I’m guessing the “bad” in your day is nothing like that 2 year old in Siberia who lives in the gutter…

Maybe I’m wrong about that but I’m just guessing.

Sometimes life is hard but before you say to yourself (or others) “man this day sucks” I’d ask you to take a moment and think about that two year old in Siberia living in the gutters.

Maybe your day isn’t so bad after all?

CAP