8 Tiny Signs You Are Doing Well In Life
A quick reminder that you don't need to be rich or glamorous to be successful in life.
Yunustug, Roberta SA / CanvaPro It can be easy to forget the importance of gratitude in our daily lives, especially when we have a lot on our plates. We’re quick to judge a co-worker in a moment of stress or yell at our family after coming home from a long day. It’s just human nature.
When we’re struggling through life with the burden of depression, anxiety, or overwhelming stress, it can be far too easy to focus on all the things that are wrong instead of the good. We feed into a cycle of toxic negativity that not only hurts our own well-being but that of our loved ones.
The self-care Instagram page @selfcare4yu wants to remind you to take a moment to prioritize gratitude in the midst of life's stress. The truth is — you're doing well.
Here are 8 tiny signs that you’re doing well in life
1. You have a roof over your head
According to United Nations statistics, there are more than 1.6 billion people in the world residing in unstable, unsafe, or poor housing conditions — with nearly 15 million forcefully evicted each year.
If you have a place to call home, a space to gather with a community, or even just somewhere to sleep at night, you have leverage to grow, heal, and maintain your health.
Acknowledging the safety of shelter is important — not everyone has this luxury — but don’t forget to give yourself grace with everything else you struggle with.
We live in a contemporary world where these basic necessities are often given and received without a second thought. It’s the more hard-hitting problems, societal issues, and personal struggles that tend to directly influence our lives. Make space for gratitude while also acknowledging how those big issues affect you — that’s where real growth and self-awareness happen.
2. You have clean water
Over 2 billion people in the world don’t have access to clean water — millions of those people live in our own country. Our neighbors, communities, and friends are restricted from a necessity for survival.
Of course, recognizing this is difficult. These statistics are not a guilt trip or a means to make you feel bad about yourself — it’s just the reality of our world.
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So many of us have access to things like clean water every day, and we forget to give it a second thought. Next time you wash your hands, fill a kettle for tea, or just indulge in a hot shower, take a moment to realize what a beautiful gift it is.
3. You have a kind heart
Of course, there’s more to life than pure survival. Kindness, grace, and happiness make our human experience unique. We cherish interaction, love, and relationships with other people. We yearn for connection.
If you’ve shown an ounce of selflessness, whether to your kids, your spouse, or a stranger on the street, you’re doing well. If you’ve sacrificed some of your time, energy, or money — something we’re all struggling with in our current world — you’re contributing to a better reality.
If you’re finding it difficult to feel gratitude in your life or are going through a hard time right now, consider opening yourself up to the world of kindness. Give a stranger a compliment, help out your neighbor with their groceries, or carve out extra time to spend with your kids.
This kindness and pure social interaction have been proven to help us feel better and, in turn, cultivate a more rewarding life.
4. You wish well for others
In the same vein as karma, kindness, and social interaction, if you constantly wish well for the people around you, chances are you’re doing well in life. It takes a lot of self-awareness, bravery, and confidence to wish the best for the people around you — even if they’re not doing the same for you.
When we wish the best for others, we’re putting good energy and intention into the universe — cultivating a safe space for good to return to you. Not only is this selfless act actually helping your life in the future, it’s helping to cultivate a better inner circle around you.
5. You ate something today
Millions, if not billions, of people in the world struggle with food insecurity, whether due to locational or geographical access to healthy, safe foods or simply financial barriers to receiving them.
However, being grateful for access to healthy, safe, and nutritious food isn’t the only guardrail for measuring “doing well” in life. Especially in our culture, narratives around eating are particularly unhealthy and can feed into a toxic lifestyle when perpetuated often.
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If you’ve given your body nutrients and listened to your body’s cravings today, that’s absolutely a win, no matter how difficult it was. This is a reminder that, even on your worst days, eating a meal and fueling your body is a sign of success.
6. Someone in your life is there to support or care for you
When we’re a part of something — whether it be a community or a friendship — we learn more about ourselves. Not only does the support and interaction we indulge in with others help our mental health, but it creates the potential for more fulfillment.
So, if you have a friend, a loved one, a church, a school, or a community that provides a sense of safety, comfort, or support in your life — you’re doing well. If you’re going through a difficult time, use those people to your advantage — talk with them, invite them to go out, or even just give them a compliment.
These people in our circles are essential to the life we create for ourselves — be grateful for them and don’t take them for granted. Not everyone has the luxury of companionship or friendship in their lives — no matter what the reason.
7. You have clean clothes
Laundry, clean clothes, and access to washing machines are tiny indulgences in life that many people take for granted.
If you have access to clean clothes and the ability to wash and dry them easily, you’re doing well. With clean clothes, you’d be surprised at how many opportunities open for you — whether it be a successful job opportunity or a kind social interaction with a stranger.
8. You’re breathing
Lastly, everyone has something to be grateful for — no matter what. If you’re alive and breathing, there’s truthfully no problem or “bad thing” in your life that could make it not worth living — you’re doing well.
You can always grow and heal — don’t give up on yourself and your future by letting inconvenience, stress, and anxiety get the best of you.
Remember that we all deserve to live our lives to the fullest—don’t let your ego sabotage you into thinking you’ve got nothing to be grateful for. You’re doing a good job.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango, focusing on pop culture and human interest stories.