The World is NOT Ending
I know that it feels that way – but it really, truly, is NOT ending.
Are you feeling it? That inexplicable stress? The sensation that you are a rubber band wound too tightly and fit to burst? Do your emotions simply overwhelm you with little or no explanation?
If you answered yes to any or all of the above – you are feeling the impact of the current world situation. Between COVID-19, a vacuum of useful leadership in the United States, an ugly, ugly election, and months of extreme uncertainty – it’s hard NOT to be feeling it.
Patience has been worn thinner than ever. Because of poor to no leadership, the end of this crisis is nowhere in sight. What’s more, we keep seeing idiotic moves in the name of commerce. You cannot reopen schools and practice social distancing because kids are kids. There’s plenty of money for tax breaks for the uber-wealthy and funding an oversized military – but no money for the everyday needs of the people.
This feels very much like the end of the world. Social order is in chaos, entitlement and selfishness are overruling reason and logic, and there’s just a general sense of dread overwhelming nearly everyone.
Maybe the way things have been done for a century or so are coming to an end – but I assure you that the world is NOT ending. But it IS changing – and changing faster and more drastically than most can handle.
The way it’s been has failed
I make no apology for this – but it’s the truth. Our society and the way we have been functioning for the past four or five decades is unsustainable. Here in the United States, since Reagan and his Congress massively lowered the taxes on the uber-wealthy in the interest of the completely bullshit notion of trickle-down economics – this model began its collapse. Destroying the middle-class and creating and widening a false divide led us to where we are now.
The world before the pandemic is gone. The way things were will never be how they are again. Yet because people cling to returning to the way it was – they cannot accept that we’re nearly six months gone and not even close to back there.
So yes, the way things have been is over. The “they” among a large swath of our so-called leadership sure as hell don’t want to acknowledge this – because their power ends with it.
But because we cannot yet see what the other side of this looks like – everyone is feeling the stress. With very few exceptions, people are frustrated, confused, and/or scared in some form or other.
We can’t ignore it, deny it, or shunt it away. That’s toxic because it exists but then is not dealt with. If you don’t deal with it then it gets rooted deeper and hits harder, later.
All this negativity is equivalent to an untreated wound. If you don’t wash it out and care for it then it gets infected. As such, it makes you sick. You can’t pretend this isn’t happening and not deal with it for the same reason.
Acknowledge how you feel. Recognize it, experience it – then do what you can to release it.
Then what?
Choose your actions
Every single day you are faced with choices. Most are ignored or lumped into routines and occur by rote. Get out of bed, brush your teeth, get dressed, eat meals, do work, and so on. You may not even think of these as choices – but they are.
You can choose NOT to get out of bed. Skip a meal. Play hooky from work. These are all choices, and all valid.
I know that I currently am unreasonably angry. Between Trump and his cronies destroying the democracy, idiots not wearing masks or practicing social distancing, and people getting too-easily offended over teeny-tiny slights – I’m frustrated.
Overall, I know there is NOTHING I can do for any of this.
Okay, so what can I do? I can choose to take care of myself. Then, I can do things to release my ire, let go of my frustration, and try to help others in the same predicament as I am.
No, we are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm. That’s been said before, but a lot of things complicate it. The false narrative on the part of our so-called leadership has created an “us” versus “them” situation that has been personalized and personified in a way that impacts just about everyone.
Now we see a seedy underbelly of ugliness that is really disheartening. It’s bad enough that there’s blatant racism, sexism, and zealotry impeding progress – but we’re also seeing personal entitlement, opinion, and self-righteousness ignoring logic, fact, and reason.
There’s nothing I can do about any of that. But I can make choices and decisions regarding MY actions to be a good person and do right efforts.
You, too, can make good choices.
That’s more powerful than you may realize.
Really, the world is NOT ending
You have more power to impact change than you realize. How? By making good choices and working to not contribute to all the negativity. If you get caught up in the bad news of the day, complain about it, keep pointing it out, and sharing it with everyone else – you help it grow.
I am not advocating for ignoring what is going on. You cannot do that and change it. What I am recommending is not allowing the negativity to overwhelm you.
Don’t just complain about all the unjustified killings of black people by police – demand justice and accountability. If you need to share with people negative information so they are informed – offer a solution with it (or at least a forum to try and find one).
Belief is a powerful thing. Faith helps people to choose themselves and do new things. It is all too easy to be absorbed into the collective consciousness and to be overwhelmed by negativity.
Recognize what is going on. Acknowledge it. But then choose to do things to release it.
Holding onto the badness in the world won’t change it. You can, however, make good choices to impact it with some positivity.
The collective consciousness is ruled by fear. That’s how “they” maintain their control – and they would love for you to believe that the world is ending and only “they” can save us. But nothing could be further from the truth. The world is NOT ending, and the only one who can save you is you.
What can you do?
Before you fall into your daily routine, take a moment to be mindful. Ask yourself,
- What am I thinking?
- How am I feeling?
- What am I feeling?
- Why am I doing this?
By being present and conscious in the moment, you gain insight into the only thing over which you have control – YOU. Most specifically, what is going on inside your head.
Your mindset/headspace/psyche and overall being you can influence and control.
Once you have looked within you are better equipped to look outward. Unless you are in a truly awful, untenable situation – and even, to some degree if you are – there is hope. You have potential and possibilities.
The world is not ending – you have options.
Recognize and acknowledge how you are feeling. Then – forgive yourself.
Why forgive yourself? Because with all the suffering going on, if you are not experiencing the same it can cause you to feel guilty.
Next, make choices to do good, practice mindfulness, and be a light in a dim and darkening world.
Things you can do for yourself and others that are good:
- Breathe.
- Meditate.
- Hold doors for people.
- Maintain social distancing.
- Tell your friends and family that you love them.
- Be kind to yourself.
- Pause and reflect before reacting to things.
- Treat them how you want them to treat you.
All of these are choices you can make. Each shows how the world is not ending because there is always a new resource, another option, and a different way to get from here to there.
You are not alone in feeling uncertain, frustrated, scared, and lost. But you can make choices to deal with it – and help show that, truly, the world is NOT ending.
Finding and/or creating positivity isn’t hard – but it does require thought, feeling, and action
Knowing that the world is not ending – just going through a chaotic shift and a lot of change – you can take actions to calm yourself and others. When you acknowledge and recognize the negativity, you make it easier to find and/or create positivity to release and counter it – and that ultimately empowers you.
When you feel empowered, your mindfulness increases, you become more aware overall, and that can spread to people around you. This can create a feedback loop of awareness and positivity.
As such, you can build more positive feelings and discover further reasons to feel positivity and gratitude. That can be the impetus to improve numerous aspects of your life for the better, help overcome the overwhelming negativity of the current situation, and generate yet more positivity and gratitude.
An attitude of gratitude is an attitude of immense positivity that can generate even more good energies – and that, like you, is always worthwhile.
This is the three-hundred and fortieth entry of my Positivity series. It is my hope these weekly messages might help spread positive energies for everyone. Feel free to share, re-blog, and spread the positivity.
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