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You’ve had a bad week. Your favorite, and most expensive, shirt came back from the laundry a size smaller. Your driver told you he may have hit a small animal. You lost your mobile phone with the photo you told your girlfriend you had already deleted but didn’t.

It could be worse.

Imagine being trapped 2,300 feet underground for nearly two months in a collapsed mine shaft and being told, “We hope to have you out by Christmas.”

The 33 Chilean miners look remarkably happy in video feeds from their subterranean prison below the Atacama Desert.

Their first request was for cigarettes.

Maybe they are now able to define what’s important in life after coming so close to death.

And that’s something we can all take away from the experience of getting a personal wake-up call from the spiritual operator.

So amid the anxiety of religious violence and the despair of endemic corruption, I offer the following ways to squeeze the most out of our time on this planet.

Enjoying life is:

• Getting out of the city to see the stars. Try the rooftop bar at Bandung’s Paris Von Java.
• Climbing a tree. Even if you’re 50.
• Going out with a person with a “wild” reputation and finding out they deserve it.
• Laughing with your elderly mom now instead of crying at her funeral later.
• Feeling the sand under your feet. Come on, take off those shoes when you’re walking on the beach.
• Flying out on a moment’s notice for a lovers’ weekend.
• Swimming frantically away from a poisonous sea snake but thinking unagi sushi.
• Never asking for a date on Facebook. Get real.
• A chilled glass for your cold beer.
• Getting up to sing with the band at Paulaner Brauhaus.
• Knowing not to get up and sing with the band at Paulaner Brauhaus because you suck and you want to keep your friends.
• Ordering something different from the menu next time.
• Always remembering what you never want to forget.
• Still going swimming even if you forgot your swimsuit.
• Giving your woman a La Perla item you came across at the 90 percent off going out of business sale.
• Her wearing it that night. Yes, for you!
• Having scenic sunset cocktails at the Amanusa Bar in the hills overlooking Bali’s resort center.
• Wearing new red heels you know are hot, and having both men and women tell you so.
• Taking a Silver Bird taxi every now and then.
• Speaking Bahasa Indonesia well enough to order a pizza over the phone. Hey President Obama, there’s a Domino’s here!
• Finding out that a 24-hour supermarket opened in the building next door. And going there at 2 a.m. for coffee and a night owl conversation.
• Sitting in the upper section at CJ’s nightclub in Hotel Mulia because of the dark privacy and complimentary teddy bear.
• Coming up with a monster drive out of nowhere to leave you with a short chip to the green.
• Holding your daughter’s hand no matter how old she is.
• Having a great boss, or having your workers say you are a great boss.
• Meeting revenue projections in tough times, and exceeding revenue projections in good times.
• Loving the way your partner smells. With or without cologne.
• Getting your stereo repaired for a fraction of the cost compared with just about anywhere else in the world.
• Knowing where to buy the best kimchi.
• And the winner has to be the new Lotte Mart in Gandaria City.
• Not worrying about past mistakes, but thinking about the good times to come.