The news has been full of doom and gloom in 2001. Between stock market crashes, terrorist attacks and war in far flung corners of the globe, everyone looking back on the past year has been dwelling on all the things that have gone wrong.

I think it's time we stopped and took a moment to think about those little things that go right every day. Things like:

• Finally returning a long overdue call you have been dreading and getting voicemail.
• Letting someone into traffic, and they actually wave thanks.
• Finding out something is on sale at the cash register when you expected to day full price.
• Finding out the thing you want that is on sale is actually in stock, in your size and your colour.
• Discovering your broken appliance still has three days left on the warranty.
• Going to bed with the beginnings of a miserable cold and waking up feeling fine.
• Bumping into an ex-girlfriend (or boyfriend) who dumped you on a day when you're really looking great.
• Stepping outside and finding your bus waiting for you. Or deciding to walk, and still beating the bus to where you're going.
• When no one else at the dinner table wants the last piece of pie.
• Finding twenty bucks in the pocket of an old pair of pants.
• Getting a letter from Revenue Canada saying they made a mistake and they owe you money.
• An entire dinner uninterrupted by phone calls.
• Going to the doctor's office for an injection, and realizing it's already over before you've had a chance to act like a big baby.
• Pizza night.
• Finding the long lost mate to your favourite pair of socks.
• Having a child look at you with awe over something you've done.
• Losing your wallet and then having it returned with the money and credit cards intact.
• Getting a parking spot right in front of the video rental return slot.
• Having saved your work just before your computer crashes.
• County fair fudge (especially chocolate marshmallow).
• Correctly picking the line at the grocery store that is actually moving the fastest.
• Having a movie theatre almost all to yourself on a weekday afternoon.
• Dinner with friends where everyone loses track of the time because they're having too much fun.
• Sleeping in on holiday Mondays.
• Losing three pounds ­ one pound isn't enough and five pounds makes you think you have some rare wasting disease.
• Faith that every new year will be better than the last.