“Who emptied the milk bag and didn’t fill it up!? Ugh I hate my life!”

- Everyone at some point in their life

This week’s aphorism of the week comes from the great Charlie Chaplin.

We have all been there, those moments where we feel the entire world is out to get us. You discover a hole in your new sock, the chores weren’t done when you came home from work, the cute girl in your class turned you down. When we experience these daily “tragedies” it seems like the end of the world doesn’t it. You could have just won lotto 649 but once you stub that toe oh boy watch out. It is easy to only think of the negatives in our life. For some reason once they arise they are like an infection inside that will not go away.

Yes, unfortunately at times we do face real tragedies such as illnesses, injuries and even death. They are unavoidable and deserve attention and grief. However the word tends to change its definition too often to accommodate our need to feel sorry for ourselves.

How do we remove ourselves from these tragic moments, discover our surrounding victories and laugh at our lives?

Learn to take a step back.

Next time you find yourself in a rut, remind yourself to take a step back. Step back from this moment and review your last hour. Any sense of clarity? Try backing up to your entire day. How is your week going? You must have some victories from this month you can celebrate.

You have arrived at your years now. No matter how many you have lived, I bet you cannot even see that tiny moment any longer.

What you will see is growth. You will see lessons learned, and moments of victory.

When we glance at our life through a telescope we are able to laugh. Laugh at the time you thought changing the bag of milk was going to hospitalize you. Return to the present moment and laugh. Remove any false tragedies and rejoice in the fact you are constantly growing.

Laughter is the greatest medicine.