I always felt sorry for myself because of what I didn't have compared to my friends and how hard my life seemed to be compared to other people's. I was stuck in a web of bad things and needed someone or something to help me get out of it.
One afternoon at work, when I was about twenty-one, a coworker of mine started talking to me. What he said was upsetting and disturbing, but it would change my life in a big way. He told me this:
"Your quite a depressive person, aren't you?"
"Am I?"
I was shocked because I didn't think I was any different from anyone else. He kept going:
"Yes you are. You rarely smile, are always negative, and seem to be carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders ".
This man was about 53 years old, and he went on:
"I used to be like you, but then someone told me something that I'm going to tell you now. When you're feeling down, sad, or sorry for yourself, read the newspaper or turn on the TV to see what's going on in the world. Then you might realise you are one of the lucky ones."
I heard what he said and thought about it. I had never read or watched the news much before, but I decided to start. The advice was right on the money, because the news from all over the world and even from my own country was very shocking. I realised that the things I was worried about weren't that important and that I needed to enjoy each day and start looking at the bright side of things.
Stephen Hill
