Circle of Life(‘s A Bitch)

There’s always someone worse off than yourself apparently. Actually I’m not sure why I disparagingly used ‘apparently’ there - it’s very much apparent and a quick glance at the news should be enough to stop me being a spoilt, little, self-obsessed whinge bag. But I’m going through a bit of crappy time and therefore this nugget of consolation has popped into my head a lot recently.

It’s a ‘count your blessings’ type mentality and there’s nothing wrong with that. Slightly odd that we should also take comfort in the fact that others will be suffering more than us but there you go. It also makes me wonder who’s at the bottom of this cascading principle. Who’s the poor, unfortunate soul languishing at the bottom of life’s shit pile?

The answer is, of course, no one as it all changes far too quickly for that to happen. Life is cyclical - a series of twisting and turning ups and downs and we are all of us susceptible. There are few things as pitiful as those who smugly assume they’ve made it in life and are now infallible. And even fewer things as annoying as when they start with the lecturing.

Anyways, it is the cyclical pattern that I’m putting my faith in at the moment. Terrifying though it is for people when they’re loved-up, affluent or as popular as a Terry‘s Chocolate Orange at a Weight Watcher‘s meeting (or whatever one might class as happiness), for me it’s currently a comforting thought that life will have its better moments once again.

During these times it’s very easy to blame yourself for your circumstances. Or at least if is if your me. I’m a strong believer in the 'taking control of your own life' approach; that if you want things to change, you’d better get off your arse and change them. Therefore if things go wrong I‘m prone to self-hate. All well and good but this doesn’t account for the outside world and its unrelenting hand in your thwarted plans. Events and other people are highly efficient filibuster.

So balance is essential. You’ve got to persevere in order to be ready for the opportunities and luck that should come your way at some point - a concept as old as the hills. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later!