Take a deep breath and count your MANY MANY blessings

Left my house for therapy yesterday (yes, Awful April has sent me hurtling into the arms of a trained professional) to discover that my car had been towed (#columbiaheightswoes). Sometimes. Life. Blows.  But other times we need a SERIOUS reality check!

I am so deeply blessed it’s ridiculous.  I have a kick-ass job, fabulous friends and family who inspire, surprise, challenge and support me, cool roommates, excellent taste in clothes and music (in my humble opinion), and the opportunity to share my love of yoga with young women every week!  Basically, my life rocks and is full of possibility.

If you’re anything like me and need an occasional perspective dowsing, consider the following excerpt from a powerful article I recently read by Danielle Laporte:

“By many accounts, you and I have every advantage to be happy, healthy, and deeply fulfilled. 
Somewhere else…
: Are you gay? If you’re found out, you will get jail time.
: If you were unfaithful to your spouse, you would be stoned, likely by your neighbors.
: Want to convert to a religion other than the one you were born into? That would warrant execution.
: Thirsty? Clean water is five miles away. Walk to get it. You have one bucket.
: You may want to play soccer with the other boys your age, but you have weapons training.
: Have you complained about the government in an email? You’re going to court.

Women…
: Long to be thin, to run in the sun? Forget it, men in your village like large women and you are force fed.
: Raped? Refuse a marriage proposal? If you’re lucky, they won’t kill you, they’ll just throw acid in your face.
: Long for erotic pleasure? It’s difficult since your grandmother cut out your clitoris with a razor blade when you were twelve.
: If you’re menstruating, you will miss school rather than face the ridicule.
: You can’t get a job because by law, women are considered “half the value of men.” Hell, you can’t even vote. You can’t even look a man directly in the eyes."

So next time your MacBook crashes, take a deep breath and count your MANY MANY blessings.  Then ask yourself how you can make another person's day even a little bit better, and do it.  Chin up cutie.