Apparently - according to some pseudoscience - today is the most depressing day of the year. Have you noticed it?

If you think about it, there could be reasons for this. In the Northern Hemisphere we’re well into winter (notwithstanding Climate Change), so it will be some time before our summer break. And many of us will now be getting our credit card bills following Christmas excesses.

There are equally several reasons why it could be a great day. In the Northern Hemisphere we’re well into winter (notwithstanding Climate Change), so we often get beautifully sunny days with cold but crystal clear air. We’ve got summer to look forward to and, whether Christmas was great, so-so or even bad, we have another experience to cherish and gifts to enjoy. Or at the very least, an opportunity to reflect and learn.

But there’s more. For many of us there’s somewhere to call home, we have opportunities and possibilities - limited only by our own self-beliefs - and we’re fairly certain where and when we’ll have our next meal. That’s a great deal more than many poor souls, both at home and abroad.

It may be somewhat cliché and even unhelpful to say ‘there’s always someone worse off.’ However, when you’ve experienced first-hand what it’s like to live in a home made from mud bricks, with no gas, no electricity, no running water and no sanitation (save for the ‘long drop’ situated a suitable distance away), you appreciate how easily we take things for granted. Like turning on a tap and getting clear, safe drinking water.

So what’s the difference between a depressing day and a great day? It’s the same as the difference between work that’s abject drudge and work that’s noble, uplifting employment. It’s simply how you decide it will be. Today is a great day. And tomorrow will be so too!

Bryan