Gratitude

Sometimes, it's shocking when I realize after some thought how the 'few' resources I have are actually an immense advantage.

A simple example - I can put in a run late at night, even midnight, if I haven't done that in daytime. And I've run a lot during evenings than I have in the mornings. This is because of the fitness center in my apartment. Without much preparation beforehand, without having to take any precautions (safe routes), dress up for the weather, carry water and money/keys, without having to drive, I can simply get up and get my regular dose of mood lifter with just an elevator ride below. There is a compromise of course. The treadmill can never match the trail. But a run is a run. And the endorphins don't care about the surface you ran on. Such a simple thing can keep your days and nights on track.

Once you start noticing the things you have an advantage at, the list keeps growing. Your health, your family, your education, the fact that you are able to piss and poop normally! (years ago I had read a Reader's Digest story about a Somalian girl who suffered female genital mutilation, later on escaping and becoming a supermodel. She described, among other terrible things she had to undergo, how even urinating daily was a painful experience for her because of what they did to her. Then there's also seeing people in the hospital with catheters and colostomies. You can't help but think how lucky you are.)

And as this realization becomes a recurring thought over days, it seems stranger and stranger to waste your life and time doing things you are not interested in or which add no value to your life or to that of others you care for.

You never know when something you value will suddenly disappear.

Run while you can. Do things you want to do while you can.