I don’t want to get punched in the face. But if I have to, then I’d rather be punched in the face and get a dollar than get punched in the face for free.
The point is, slightly better is still objectively better. Sometimes you can’t avoid a disaster. But “disaster + cup of hot chocolate” is objectively better than just “disaster.” So make yourself the cup of hot chocolate.
If nothing else, it reminds you that you have agency, even if only at the margins. It lets you know that there are corners of life, however tiny and fleeting, that are beautiful and wondrous. You can live in those moments even if everything else burns down around you.
Those moments aren’t an escape or a crutch – if you can act to avoid the big disasters, do so. But if the bombs ever truly start dropping and there’s nothing else to be done, I’d rather put on my favorite music and goof around with my kids than spend the last few minutes screaming “woe is me.”
You can make anything – for you, for others, for everyone – slightly better. Do it every day.
The Opportunity Machine 