18 It Could be Worse

  

It Could be Worse

I remember when I was a prison chaplain. I was visiting and entered a cell where there were two prisoners in the same cell.

They were in the same conditions, but one of them was unhappy, and the other one was happy. "Why are you so sad?" I asked the unhappy man. 

"What reason do I have to be happy? I am unlucky.  Recently I was free and had all that I wanted.  I was on holiday in the sun and there, as you know, is more interesting than here.

Then the unhappy man turned to the other prisoner and asked him how he could be so happy sharing a cell with him?

The happy prisoner replied.  "Recently I was in another prison, where the conditions were much worse, here is just like a holiday for me, compared to what it was. 

Many people want to get here, but I am the lucky one."

Everything is relative and has to be learned in comparison. 

If you want to be happy, just compare your current position not with what is better, but with what would be worse.


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