Man Turns Bad Day Around With 'Appreciation Superpower

Timm Chiusano was having the worst day of his career when a manhole cover changed everything.

On February 1, 2018, he dragged himself onto the subway after another terrible workday, dreading tomorrow. Then his eyes landed on a manhole cover, and his mind lit up like a curious five-year-old's.

"Oh cool, a manhole cover! Interesting that they made them circles instead of squares for safety," he thought. Within seconds, he was marveling at New York City's underground infrastructure and wondering about shipping costs from India.

That moment of wonder on an otherwise horrible day made Chiusano realize he'd stumbled onto something powerful. He could choose to appreciate the good things around him, even when everything felt wrong.

He calls it appreciation, and it's different from gratitude. Gratitude requires receiving something, but appreciation is a lens you can use to see the world differently every single day.

Rutgers University psychologist Nancy Fagley spent years researching this concept after a graduate student kept bringing it up. Her findings confirm what Chiusano discovered on that subway ride.

Appreciation has two main parts: recognizing value in something and feeling a positive emotional connection to it. It's both a natural personality trait and something anyone can learn.

Fagley's research shows that people who practice appreciation experience significantly better wellbeing. "That kind of world view, where you focus on positive events and notice the positive aspects of our lives, counteracts the tendency to take things for granted," she explains.

The practice looks different for everyone. Some people count their blessings before bed. Others pause to marvel at flowers growing through sidewalk cracks or feel genuine wonder about having running water.

Why This Inspires

Chiusano turned his worst career day into a life-changing discovery by noticing something as ordinary as a manhole cover. His story proves that happiness isn't about waiting for big wins or perfect circumstances.

The science backs him up. When you train yourself to appreciate the mundane, magnificent things already in your life, you're not just being optimistic or looking for silver linings. You're fundamentally changing how you experience the world.

You don't need to appreciate everything. Terrible things exist, and acknowledging them matters. But choosing to notice the good, the interesting, and the beautiful creates real, measurable improvements in mental health.

Chiusano now teaches others how to "get addicted to appreciation," helping them see the world through curious, wonder-filled eyes instead of jaded, exhausted ones.

One manhole cover, one moment of childlike curiosity, and suddenly a horrible day became the beginning of something better.