UNITED STATES—What are some of your everyday essentials that you need to operate at full capacity? Is it a cup of coffee, a balanced breakfast, clean towels, a good night of sleep? Think about that for a moment. Now ask yourself what you would do without having those essentials to keep your battery running. This is something we all encounter on a daily basis; we tell ourselves the day is young, all will be well, but a curveball or two always happens.
Is it fair, no, but you can’t allow one bad apple to spoil the rest of the apples in the bunch. For example, I truly need a quality amount of sleep to fully function on a daily basis. Would I love to get 8 hours of sleep every single day? Without a doubt, but sometimes all your wishes never come true. Just this weekend, I had to find a way to get my body energized after being up for nearly 20 hours, getting 5 hours of sleep and having to decipher nearly 100 pages of reading material, study for a major exam and work.
Not an easy task people, not an easy task at all, but the mind is so much more powerful than one would ever expect. If you tell yourself you’re going to do something, the mind will hold you accountable to make sure that task is accomplished. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but never underestimate your abilities. If coffee is what you need to get your juices running, utilize it, BUT if you find yourself coffee-less that does not mean you can’t fully complete what needs to be accomplished for the day.
Essentials are not just in reference to the things one uses to get a leg up on the day, but also the things that are vital to our survival. Note: an essential and a need are not the same thing. Water, air, housing, clothing and food, those are everyday essentials that most Americans require. Think about this, there are tons of people out there who don’t have access to clean water, clean air, clothing and food, yet quite a few of us do, yet we constantly complain and whine about things that are irrelevant. We should be thinking about those same necessities, but instead we get caught up with too much unnecessary filler.
Can you imagine having one of those vital essentials needed in life being taken away? What would you do if you did not have access to clean water? What would you do if you found yourself without a place to live, what about a lack of clothing, or going hungry night after night? It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it can happen to any of us. The things we take for granted today, can be snatched away from us without a second glance, but most of us never expect it.
Be thankful, be aware of the things that you do have; don’t let the minor hiccups stress you out, because let’s face it: missing a cup of coffee is not the end of the world! Especially, when you have NO IDEA where your next meal will come from. The same applies to not having clean towels, when you’re wondering where you might lay your head for the night. We all have everyday essentials, but we should refine what is a MUST versus what is a NEED!
