Things aren't as they normally have been in our world of today. Between constantly worsening political division and a pandemic that has killed over a million people in the last eight months, as well as worsening wildfires all over the globe, widespread unemployment, weak economies, and many other factors that are affecting our lives today, we live in a world in which it can be challenging to survive, much less to thrive.
It is, after all, extremely stressful to be dealing with a virus that we never know when we might catch it, or what effects it will have on us when we do. It's hard to watch people divide themselves on purely political grounds, and treat each other awfully when they do so. It's very difficult to live with steady financial unsureness or instability, wondering when they may let us go at work--even if for a while--or when we won't be able to pay the rent or the mortgage. It's difficult to see and hear so many people call us stupid for our political beliefs, or insult us because we do what we feel is right to do and say what we feel is right to say.
Difficult to live life fully? Absolutely. Impossible? Absolutely not.
Now more than ever, it's important that we increase our awareness and our acceptance. It's imperative that we live in the present moment during these tumultuous days, and that we spread more love and compassion in a world that desperately needs it. We're being exposed constantly to news that is bad, to social media posts that are hate-filled and divisive, and to politicians who are making decisions based on what is expedient and what will earn them money rather than what is good for all of their constituents. We see so many things now that we never used to see before the advent of the Internet that sometimes it's tempting to think that life and people are changing, but the truth is that people have always done things that are harmful and hurtful--we just never used to see as much of it all.
So how do we remain upbeat and positive in a world that seems to be intent upon beating us down and keeping us down?
First, we have to remember that the world isn't at all interested in beating us down. The world itself is indifferent. It simply is. It's not trying to harm us or depress us--it's just doing its own thing, day after day. So we can stop feeling that the world is somehow against us, for the world is still providing us with all the beauty and wonder that it provided us with last year at this time.
Second, we have to make ourselves open to the beauty and the wonder, and try to avoid reading too many social media posts and watching too many newscasts. And when we do read and watch them, we need to be receptive to the positive and the beautiful, for it's there. People are afraid these days, of many things, and much of what we see in the world around us is a result of that fear--people are expressing their fears in an attempt to get a grasp on them so that they aren't as strongly affected by them. When they express their fears, though, it's easy for us to start to feel the same fears as we read about other people's fears. My friend who is afraid of the virus may post new statistics that show that it's spreading more quickly--and when I read those statistics, I may adopt that same fear. Another friend who hates a certain politician may post something that is infuriating about that person, and when I read it, I may start to feel the same anger and hatred.
But I can't do that if I'm to maintain my balance and my peace of mind and heart. I have to learn to read those things objectively, and then move on without adopting the fear or anger behind the writing. And I also need to find things to read and watch that balance out the fear and anger, like a very positive movie or television show. There is still much love and beauty in the world, but it doesn't help us a bit if we don't recognize it, pay attention to it, and appreciate it.
So these two things are a start. There will be more strategies soon. But for now, here's a challenge that you may want to accept: when you read something negative this week, ask yourself how it make you feel, and then ask yourself if that feeling is helping you or hurting you. And then, for the sake of balance, search out something positive, even if it means going to a search engine and typing in "positive memes" or "uplifting memes" or "positive videos." There's plenty out there to find, and just one or two of them can help to lift our spirits.
So for now, I bid you adieu, until soon!
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