In 2015 my wife and I rented a small home nestled in the Santa Monica mountains overlooking a lake, where I could write my second book in peace. It was heaven.

Each day I would write, walk in the mountains, and finish with a cold beer on the deck as the sun drooped below the horizon. The only problem was my landlady.

She was a singularly unpleasant individual who showed no inclination to fulfill her obligations as a property owner, and as our relationship disintegrated she began to harass us in ever more disturbing ways. We were left with no choice but to vacate the property.

When we hurriedly moved out I was deeply embittered. I missed my home and was enraged at her behavior. Not long afterwards, however, a wildfire burned the house to the ground. My wife is standing where our living room used to be in the photo. Were my landlady a more reasonable person, we would most likely have stayed in the house and lost everything, possibly even our lives.

It is tempting to focus on the downsides that come along with operating in a world beyond our control: the risks we face, and the bad hands we’re dealt. Yet in reality we all experience good fortune too, and often adverse events turn out for the best in the long run. We can only benefit from counting our blessings!

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