I Don’t Give A Damn About Your “Small Problems”

So you dropped your iPhone on your way to work this morning and the screen cracked. Or, maybe you spilt your cup of Starbucks coffee while in a hurry to hail a cab. Perhaps your train was five minutes late this morning. For some people, these are life changing and catastrophic problems. For me, they are nothing.

In fact, I have cracked my iPhone screen, spilt my coffee while trying to escape the ever-consistent madness at Penn Station, and experienced frustration with a delayed train that, at the time, essentially screwed up my entire day.

So don’t say I can’t relate. I can.

In reality, these are small problems. They’re small because they aren’t life-changing. A phone can be replaced. Sure it may be expensive, but you could always suck it up and deal with it. You may have to wait in line and pay for another cup of coffee, but at least you’re not the janitor or employee that has to physically clean it up for you. Seriously, have you ever offered to clean up your OWN coffee spill? As for the train delay, it happens to everyone. Five minutes, not even ten minutes, will forever terminate your employment or place an “irresponsible” label on your reputation.

So why fret? Your small problems are not worth the stress. Honestly, we don’t want to HEAR you fret about them either. Hush.

People often neglect taking the time to look at the big picture. Most of us that complain about these small problems are people who can afford to get an education, provide food for themselves, and sleep with a roof over their head. Such a tough life, right? Think about the homeless people on the streets who stress over how they are going to afford their next meal. Think about those who have just been diagnosed with cancer and are experiencing depression and anxiety. Think about those that don’t have running water in their home because they can’t afford it. Just think.

If you’re going to talk about small things in life, talk about small luxuries. Talk about those mornings when you get to sleep in, talk about the random act of kindness a stranger did for you, talk about that day when the sunshine dominated the forecasted rain.

So yes, I want to hear about the little things in life.

I want to see the candid pictures you have on your cracked iPhone, I want to know how appreciative Starbucks was of you using napkins to clean up your own spill, and I want to know how you let everyone cut in front of you when your delayed train finally arrived.

If you’re going to be negative, order the self-help book “Gratitude for Dummies.”