What Score Would Your Life Get Right Now? (A Quiz For Perspective)

Updated 10 years ago, January 30, 2015

It’s easy to get overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious for what is to come since you can’t accurately predict the future and the world will do with you what it wants in the end anyway. It’s fine, everyone experiences it to some degree. But if you’ve started losing sight of the “big picture” or your complaints start outnumbering your “thanks,” here’s a list of questions you should ask yourself as a small reminder that it’s really not so bad after all. Or, you can send this as a to a friend who won’t stop complaining about his or her break-up. Either way, #perspective.

Do you have a roof over your head at night? If yes, then 5 points.
Do you have your own bed to sleep in at night? If yes, then 5 points.
Do you have access to clean water? If yes, then 5 points.
Do you have access to hot, clean water to shower in regularly? If yes, then 3 points.
Do you have electricity? If yes, then 5 points.
Do you eat every day? If yes, then 10 points.
Are you breathing right now? If yes, then 10 points.
Do you have all of your limbs? If yes, then 5 points. If no, do you have at least 2 limbs? If so, then 3 points.
Are you free from fatal diseases at this time? If yes, then 5 points.
Are you able to read? If yes, then 3 points.
Are you able to write? If yes, then 3 points.
Are you able to speak, hear, and/or smell? 1 point each.
Can you speak more than one language? If yes, then 5 points.
Do you have two parents (who you can rely on)? If yes, then 10 points.
Do you have a parent (who you can rely on)? If yes, then 5 points.
Do you have an aunt, uncle, or grandparent who you can rely on? 3 points for each.
Do you have siblings, that you talk to? If yes, then 3 points.
Do you have at least one friend that you feel like you can talk to? If yes, then 5 points.
Are you freezing to death right now, and not just because your office is cold, but like, really freezing to death because you don’t have an apartment or heat? If not, then 5 points.
Have you eaten fruit and/or vegetables in the last week? If yes, then 3 points.
Do you have a job? If yes, then 10 points.
If you have a job, do you love your job? If yes, then 5 points. If no, then 3 points because no one needs to love their job, you should be glad you have a job, particularly if you are responsible for the care of other human beings.
Do you pay your own bills? If yes, then 15 points.
Do you have a functional car that gets you from point A to point B? If yes, then 5 points.
Do you have access to at least somewhat reliable public transportation? If yes, then 3 points.
Do you have a Netflix account? If yes, then 2 points.
Are you a student? If yes, then 5 points.
Do you have a college degree? If it is in something useful like business, or accounting, or science, or IT, or nursing, etc. – then 5 points. If it is in something not at all practical like “15^th Century European History” or “Poetry” then take away 5 points.
Do you have unpaid college loans and debt? If you went to college for something not at all practical like “15^th Century European History” or “Poetry” or you are getting your Masters in something equally unlikely to get you an actual job, then take away 5 more points.
Would you be able work at McDonalds or bus tables at Applebees, in order to make something rather than nothing until you find something better? And by that I mean, are you physically capable of working, do you understand the concept of necessity and the privilege of even being able to work a job such as mentioned above, understand what “hard work” actually is, and not think you are “too good” to work at something because you understand that something is better than nothing? If so, then 20 points. If not, then you lose 10 points because you are the type of person who probably thinks that “Affluenza” is a legitimate thing.
Have you laughed today? If yes, then 3 points.
Do you have a cell phone? If yes, then 2 points.
Is it a “smart phone”? If yes, then 1 point.
Do you have a computer? If yes, then 2 points.
Do you have Internet access? If yes, then 2 points.
Do you own a pair of shoes and more than three outfits of clothes? If yes, then 5 points.
Are you in loving relationship with a significant other that does not involve physical, psychological, or emotional abuse? If yes, then 5 points.
Do you have underwear? If yes, then 3 points. Is it clean? If yes, then 5 points.
Are you able to walk around your neighborhood and feel relatively safe? If yes, then 10 points.
Do you have health insurance right now? If yes, then 10 points.
Are you able to live your day-to-day life without being profiled and or stopped/harassed by police? If yes, then 10 points.
Do you not have any criminal record? If yes, then 10 points. If you do have a record, but it does not include any felonies, then 5 points.
Do you have a place to go to where you feel safe (like a church, or a shelter, or the home of a loved one, or a library, or work, or your bed)? If yes, then 10 points.
Are you able to tally your points in this quiz? If yes, then 3 points.

Anywhere between 1-50 points: You may not be “okay” right at this moment, but you are at least alive, which I know because you just took this quiz. Plus let’s face it, if you have Internet access to take this quiz you probably got more than 50 points. In any case, where there is life, there is hope… Seriously.

Anywhere between 51-150 points: You are absolutely, 100% OK right now. And by okay I mean: doing WAY better than a lot of people in many parts of the world. So appreciate it. Seriously, be grateful. Call someone you love and thank them for being in your life. Try to do something nice for a stranger today. If you complain a lot, try to do it less. Keep moving onwards and upwards.

Anywhere between 151-200+ points: You are doing f*cking great right now. You are practically a King or Queen. Go give someone a high five, and then Google a random charity online and donate $20 to it. Seriously though, I mean it, it’s important to help those who aren’t doing as well as you. If you still don’t feel so great about your life, buy a plane ticket to Guatemala or Honduras and volunteer at a Crisis Center and then re-assess. Be thankful for what you have.