Sure, maybe if you're one of those few auspicious individuals who are predisposed to success and good fortune, you might not be able to relate. But for those of us who consistently encounter misfortune on the daily and question the meaning of life every few hours, the easiest way to ensure happiness is appreciating those small victories.
And the thing is, sometimes they're really small, like blink-and-you'll-miss-them small or I-Spy-level-difficulty small to identify. But if you're protesting, "Kiana, you're full of crap, small victories aren't victories at all; that's just you trying to compensate for your failures," you might not be completely wrong. Life can be tough and we're allowed to wallow and be negative, but if there's something going poorly, there's bound to be something else, however small, that can counter it.
And as your resident pessimist, here is my personal compilation of the thirteen best feelings in the world when everything is looking a little bleak:
1. Friday afternoons with nothing scheduled.
Sure, maybe I'm procrastinating on a reading I should be getting a head start on, but really that's Sunday's problem. Friday afternoon is that calm-before-the-storm feeling where I feel perfectly content holing up in my dorm, being perfectly unproductive and not feeling too burdened about it.
2. When those eight bars of a song have been on incessant repeat in your head...AND YOU FINALLY LISTEN TO THE ACTUAL SONG.
It's blissful relief…until the next song pops into my head.
3. When you drop your phone, but your spider-level reflexes catch your phone before it shatters on the ground.
My heart keeps pounding for about two minutes after, but it's like a warm layer of buttery relief giving you a reassuring hug (slightly weird imagery).
4. Crossing things off a physical to-do list.
Yes, I might be one of those people who makes to-do lists on weekends too...just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing things off. When I slash my pen across the little yellow post-it with unwavering certainty, that brief moment of positivity is all I need. False accomplishment is accomplishment nonetheless.
5. When a song comes on that everyone in the car knows, and it suddenly becomes Carpool Karaoke 2.0.
Preemptive apologies to whichever car is stopped at the red light next to us, but even James Corden couldn't beat us in that moment.
6. When you’re sitting on the back of a motorcycle (not driving because do you think I have the coordination for that?), and the wind goes whipping through your hair.
Sort of like a makeshift roller coaster, without the lines or the seat belts.
7. Putting on contacts in the morning.
Physically seeing life in a clearer way makes me feel better about the potential disaster that is about to be my day. Totally a personal thing, but if I walk around wearing glasses, I feel like an utter imposter.
8. When your Fitbit buzzes and surprises you with a mini-celebration that you’ve hit 10,000 steps that day.
So even if you really haven't accomplished anything that day, at least you got your steps in. And your Fitbit is always there to cheer you on and acknowledge your "success"
9. Changing out of business attire and swapping those heels for cloud foam sneakers.
I don't know if business attire is supposed to make you feel more confident or something, but I personally enjoy the feeling of shedding that all off. And if you don't know what cloud foam sneakers are, please ask Alexa. Highly recommend.
10. Walking into Barnes and Noble and inhaling that fragrant cross-section between Starbucks coffee and crisp, new books.
I may or may not have spent a great deal of my childhood hiding in between the shelves of the bookstores, reading books that I would later not buy (to B&N, sincerest apologies for the lost profit; my Asian parents were very adamant about this).
11. When that LA weather is being really difficult and trying to bake us all alive, and suddenly a heavenly breeze is sent our way.
I know it doesn't get thattt hot in LA, but what can I say, I'm accustomed to relatively moderate temperatures.
12. Going polar opposite, when you’re can’t-feel-my-fingers, blood-circulation-nearly-dysfunctional cold, and you defrost in a hot shower.
Okay, before you start attacking me, Los Angeles CAN get cold and rainy (Exhibit A: the last three weeks), so this is totally, completely valid.
13. When you get a heartfelt text from a friend for no particular reason, and you just feel really appreciated.
Call me a sap, but a few kind words can really make someone's day.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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