Things don’t always work out. And that’s a perfectly normal part of life many of us have come to accept. But if you’re like me, and you feel like things don’t work out for you more often than they don’t work out for everyone else, you may think that your “stars are misaligned” (yes, I’m aware that’s very dramatic). It feels as though all the forces in the world are working against you all the time. It sucks. You start justifying your worst decisions by saying “it’s just bad luck,” and you look to faith and spirituality for more positivity in your life. Your actions have NOTHING to do with it, right?
Let’s say, for the sake of discussion, that it is all about luck. Well, in that case, I’m here to prove to you that as much as your luck can bring you some bad days, it can also bring you some good days. You’re simply too busy focusing on the negatives to recognize and appreciate all the positives. So here’s my list of ten random relatable things that happen to all of us that make our days just a little bit brighter!
- When you pull into a busy parking lot and a spot opens up just as you arrive.
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The amount of anxiety Boxing Day shopping gives me is another issue entirely…but on those busy days, it’s really nice to pull into the mall parking lot and find that perfect spot right away. No need to slowly trail behind that family with the stroller and awkwardly wait for them to fold it up and stuff it in their minivan.
- When you can’t find your size in that cute top but you see it in the wrong place just as you’re about to leave the store.
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I’m not gonna lie. It takes a whole lot of willpower to take the item that you no longer want and walk all the way to the other end of the store to put it back on the right shelf. We all have customer-from-hell-like tendencies. But sometimes the bad habits of others end up benefiting us. The same item that someone else left in the wrong place out of pure laziness is the one we find on our way out of the store when we’ve just about lost all hope. Who knew you’d find your size in that cute top mixed in with the boxes of cookies?!
- When you have a meeting scheduled with a person you don’t like and it gets canceled.
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Let’s be real. As university students who are also likely working part-time and on top of that, actively involved in extracurricular activities, we have our fair share of meetings with people we don’t like. They are unbearable and we would much rather be doing literally anything else. But hey, when they get cancelled, it’s the best feeling in the world.
- When you’re stressed out and struggling to finish an assignment on time but then get an email from your Prof saying you got an extension.
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I’ve always struggled with procrastinating. And when I’m at home, surrounded by distracting family members and a million other things I would much rather do, it can get really hard to get past the cover page on those assignments. Though I might have more time to complete my work than I usually would if I was going to school in person, I somehow manage to find myself scrambling at the last minute to put everything together. So when my Prof sends me an email when my anxiety is at its peak saying that I got an extension, the relief is inexplicable. Even though I’ll probably procrastinate again, it’s great in the moment. I can (temporarily) close all my tabs!
- When you trip and fall in a super embarrassing way and nobody sees you.
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It had to have been one of the worst days of my life. I was walking on campus on a Tuesday morning at 9:00 am in peak winter. It was icy, freezing cold, and I was on my way to Stong College from Vanier College. I tripped on ice and fell HARD. Just as I was getting up, I fell AGAIN. It was really painful and my leggings got wet, but I was grateful to realize that there was nobody nearby to laugh at me in my misery.
- When you pack for a vacation and your suitcase is overweight but the person at the check-in counter lets it slide.
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One thing I never understood is why people pack as if they’re going on vacation for two weeks when they’re only going to be gone for a few days. I’m guilty of this too…I wanna be prepared, what’s wrong with that? And when you know (and probably everyone around you also knows) that your suitcase is WAY heavier than the limit, the person at the check-in counter letting it slide is pretty nice.
- When your Wi-Fi gives out just as your TA calls on you to participate.
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I wouldn’t consider myself to be someone who is hesitant to participate in class, but honestly, participating in online classes is not the best. It’s often awkward and it feels so strange to talk to people that you only know by name. So, when your Wi-Fi gives out at just the right moment (instead of when you have to upload an assignment to eClass at midnight and it’s 11:55 pm), it’s pretty great.
- When you’re forced to share your candy with a little kid and they like all the bad ones.
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No matter how old you are, you definitely have very strong opinions about which candies you like. And chances are, you’re not too happy when asked to share your candy with other people, especially little kids. However, it’s definitely a win-win situation when the kid you have to share candy with likes all the ones you hate. Not only do you get to be the wonderful person who gave their candy to a kid, but you get rid of all the gross ones at the same time. Go ahead and take all my tootsie rolls, sketchy eyeball candies and rockets, Sally! I’ll keep the Aeros, Oh Henry’s and Jolly Ranchers, thank you very much!
- When you’re studying for a test and the thing you went back to look at last minute ends up on the test.
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There’s nothing like pre-test anxiety. Your brain works at triple speed and you try and soak in as much content as possible. Ever about to put your notes away and look back at that one page one last time only for that specific term or theory to end up on the test? Fluke of the century!
- When you’re running late and all you get are green lights.
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Let me paint the scene. You’re a homebody. You don’t love making plans with people and would much rather stay home. You finally forced yourself to be social and go to that party, but you figured it wouldn’t take you that much time to get ready. You don’t start the entire process until an hour before you need to be out the door. We all know how this is gonna end. When you’re already running late, getting all green lights is euphoric. No one taunts you for being late and you feel like you’re in a Fast and Furious movie when you don’t have to take your foot off the gas.
All in all, life is what you make of it. If you search for negatives, you will find them. Keep your chin up, take notice of the little awesome moments that make life a little easier, and of course, never forget that every day is a new day. When you start to count your blessings, you’ll quickly realize that they’re immeasurable.