Evil times can be good times
Evil fortune does have some use: it is a good thing to be born in a century which is deeply depraved, for by comparison with others you are reckoned virtuous on the cheap. - Michel de Montaigne (h/t Austin Kleon)
For all the times where you have felt that this year is off to a rough start, perhaps it’s worth keeping Montaigne’s words in mind. It doesn’t take much to stand out — so what small virtuous act will you commit to?