So, this time last year I was in a kind of a bad fix. I was completely broke, homeless, and living in a country where I didn't share a language with the majority of inhabitants. Also, at the time that I became unemployed and homeless I had managed to contract a (relatively mild) case of MRSA.

This all was somewhat stressful. However, it's important to be mindful that things can always get worse, and that your happiness is not actually dependent on having a job, place to live, or food. Although the last one does tend to occupy your mind, most people would not actually be harmed by skipping a meal or six.

You can let money, or the lack of it, determine your happiness. You can let your health, or lack of it, determine your happiness. You can let whether your favorite sports or political team determine your happiness. Or, you can have a sense of perspective, trust in yourself, and let happiness be a goal to reach no matter what fate has in store for you.

I can't help but recall the lines of "Invictus" here, but I'll refrain from quotation.