My mom always told me that everything happens for a reason. I try to remember this when things just don’t seem to be going my way. I find it often helps to take a step back when you’re frustrated and look at the situation from the outside in. Once you do that, you can rationalize what’s happening and find the silver lining. It’s not always easy, but I would so much rather be an idiot smiling in traffic than that person who can’t control their temper behind the wheel. To be completely honest, I am the worst when it comes to road rage, but lately I’ve realized there are just some things I can’t control. And if I can’t control it, then what’s the point in getting upset? So I took note of some recurring annoyances throughout the week and tried to put a positive spin on each one. By the end of the week, I felt a lot less stressed. Try it out with me!

Situation: You were up all night writing a paper. Your alarm goes off and you roll out of bed half asleep. You’re so not ready for this full day of classes ahead of you. Now, remember these things:

• You slept in a bed with blankets and pillows.
• That bed was in a house (or dorm).
• You worked on that paper and you’re going to class because you’re lucky enough to have the privilege of getting an education!

Situation: You’re running late (to a meeting, class, work, party, etc.) and the car in front of you is going 5 miles under the speed limit. They’re going to make you even later! Try to think of it like this:

• If you’re 5 minutes late or 10 minutes late, you’re still late. Better to get there alive and late than to not arrive at all.
• Maybe the person in front of you is lost. Maybe that person is older. Maybe that person was involved in a bad car accident and now drives with extra caution out of fear or anxiety.

Situation: You’re getting ready and doing your makeup. You start to put on your eyeliner and after 10 tries, you just cannot get your winged eyeliner to be as perfect as you want. (We all know the struggle. I’ve personally found myself yelling at the mirror with this one.) Put the liner down and remember this:

• You can’t get your liner perfect, but at least you can apply it yourself with a fully functioning hand.
• Plus you had enough money, or have someone nice enough in your life, to buy the eyeliner!
• I mean honestly, it’s just makeup. If you take a step back and say out loud what you’re mad about, chances are you’ll feel pretty silly.

Situation: You’re at the mall on your day off. So is everyone and their mother! There’s barely any parking and the only spots are super far. Before you get upset or annoyed, let’s break it down:

• You have a functioning car and a license to drive it.
• You are at the mall to shop (which means you have enough money to do so!)
• Luckily, most of us have two perfectly fine legs that get us where we need to go. If you have to walk a little farther, who cares?

Situation: You’re on your way home and there’s a ton of traffic. The ride usually takes 10 minutes, but it’s been 25 and you’ve only gone a mile. Remember:

• Once again, you have a functioning car and a license to drive it.
• You have a place to call home.
• You getting angry about the traffic isn’t going to make it move any faster.
• So sit back, throw on that new One Direction album and jam!

There are so many reasons to feel down, but there are a million more reasons to be happy. I don’t want to invalidate anyone’s feelings with this, because it’s definitely okay to feel upset. Just because someone has it worse than you, doesn’t mean you don’t get to be upset or angry. But I think it’s important to always remember that we are so lucky to be given this life. Don’t spend too much of the short time we’re given being upset about things out of your control. Live your life and appreciate the beautiful mess that it is!