'Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems'
A perspective of our little world
Dear reader
I think I speak for everyone when I say - it’s bloody cold out there!
I would love to tell you that stepping out into the bitter cold from a warm car gets easier with time, but it simply does not. That being said, the commute up to the moors during the early hours of the morning does certainly have its charm. The most notable of which is the precious time to get lost in thought and reflection.
One such thought that came to mind on one of these chilly mornings was a quote by Morgan Housel, author of ‘The Psychology of Money’:
“Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems”
But why this quote in particular? Whilst this particular author has a number of noteworthy points to make, I feel this one perfectly frames the way in which we perceive the good and the bad in our lives - allow me to explain.
When we talk about the ‘bad’, we could say that it is very easy to take a hot shower for granted, despite the fact that such a thing was considered a luxury not too long ago - It is very easy to complain about a medical service, despite the fact that medicine used to be merely the work of belief and superstition opposed to the scientific evidence that drives it today - It is very easy to complain about social media, despite the fact that we are more connected than ever before, so much so that I can seamlessly share these words with you now. Whilst things are by no means perfect, they could arguably be significantly worse.
When we talk about the ‘good’, we allow ourselves the creative challenge of improvement and the avoidance of a slippery slope. Now don’t get me wrong I am by no means saying ‘ignore the good things that you have because there might be something better out there’, such a thing could lead to you missing out on the present joy those good things bring. What I truly mean here is that the knowledge we possess could always be built upon, that freebie you have probably comes with a catch, that cigarette you’re smoking may feel good in the moment but will ultimately end badly for your health. The ‘Good’ in these cases could always be better, or may not be as good as they first appear.
When I am stood in the cold, with my wet woolly (and thus impractical) gloves, dripping nose, foggy glasses, and shivering chin, I can’t help but think to myself:
"Sure, it could be better - but it could always be worse”
In the individual little worlds that we live in there is a bigger world around us that seemingly never stops moving. It has this rather funny way of continuously reminding us that there are good things to be thankful for - such as the silence that allows us to sit back, look around, and realise that there are others who may have it better that us in one way, but may also have it worse in another.
Now this doesn’t in any way negate the individual struggles we do face, it merely highlights that the journey we are all on, including the many blessings and curses that it brings our way, are truly ours. It is the bad that reminds us why the good is…well…so good, and I would argue that it simply comes down to striving for harmonious balance of the two - which is a skill that takes a lifetime to develop.
I challenge you to enjoy the journey of discovering this skill set.
My warmest regards dear reader
Nathan Prescott