The Art of Seeing What’s Still Good

You’ve probably heard the story of Thomas Edison’s laboratory fire. It happened in 1914. One evening, the entire complex consisting years of experiments, equipment, and ideas just went up in flames. Edison’s son rushed to him, worried he'd be devastated. But do you know what the 67-year-old inventor said as he watched his life’s work burn?

“Go get your mother. She’ll never see a fire like this again.”

That’s perspective. Some would say madness, others would say resilience. I say it’s a reminder that sometimes, even when the world seems to be falling apart, there’s space for a strange, stubborn sort of thankfulness.

Let’s be real: most of us aren’t standing in front of burning labs, but we do face our own daily versions of disaster. Like when your mobile hangs just before submitting a form, or when you realise it’s pouring outside and the brand-new umbrella you were so proud of is sitting comfortably at home, right where you forgot it. Life, as they say, keeps things exciting.

But here’s the thing, we’re still standing. Slightly tilted, maybe, but upright. And if you pause for a second (yes, even in the middle of the laundry pile or while waiting for your turn at the ration shop), you’ll see there’s always something to hold on to. A call from an old friend. A stranger’s smile. Or finding your favourite snack untouched in the fridge. Small wins!

Gratitude isn’t just a warm fuzzy word for greeting cards. It’s a quiet shift in focus. It’s not pretending everything’s perfect, it’s choosing to see what’s still good even when things aren’t. Think about it. You’ve had days where nothing went right, and then suddenly, someone offered you chai without asking. Magic.

Even classic films have this woven in. Remember “Life is Beautiful”? A father hides the horrors of war from his son by turning it into a game. That film didn’t shy away from pain, it simply showed that love and humour could survive even in darkness. Or take Forrest Gump, who ran through heartbreak, war, and loss but kept finding beauty in feathers, sunsets, and chocolates.

That’s the strange superpower we all carry: the ability to smile while limping, to laugh while learning, and to give thanks while figuring things out.

And no, it’s not always Instagram-worthy. Sometimes gratitude looks like laughing at a badly made dinner. or when the Wi-Fi miraculously holds up through the entire episode without any buffering, and drama. Sometimes, it’s just knowing the fan works even though it sounds like a helicopter about to take off.

The point is, we don’t need perfect lives to feel grateful. We need eyes that notice, hearts that stay open, and a little bit of humour (and caffeine) to get us through. So here’s to the days that don’t go according to the plan, to the people who stand by us when we’re grumpy, and to every single moment we survive and still manage to say, “Well… that could’ve been worse.”

Because even in the middle of the storm, there’s always something worth appreciating. And sometimes, that something is just you, still trying, still showing up, and still carrying hope in your back pocket like a ₹ 100 note you forgot was there.

Gratitude has this quiet superpower, it doesn’t just comfort us, it expands us. It shifts our focus from what's missing to what’s already here, often hiding in plain sight. Suddenly, the ordinary feels like a gift: a working fan, a warm cup of chai, someone who listens. And in noticing those things, we realise: we're not empty, we're full in ways we never counted before. Gratitude doesn’t erase struggle, but it fills the cracks with perspective. It turns ‘barely enough’ into ‘surprisingly plenty.’