Checking In

Happy Lent! It’s been quite awhile since I last wrote. Why is that? It’s been a combination of a few things. First, regarding politics, I’ve disagreed with a majority of things this administration has carried out, or failed to act upon. It’s not enjoyable to write about negativity. Second, watching our society fall into cancel culture and seeing government carry out censorship campaigns made it feel that writing an opposing view didn’t make sense even if I could overcome the negativity aspect. Lastly, it’s been quite dark out there in general. Or, has it?

The question I have posed to myself the most in recent years has been this. Is it really that bad out there or is it just that we live in a time where we can easily document negativity and consume it en masse simultaneously? The fact is, it’s practically impossible to render a legitimate conclusion to that question. So, one can choose to look at the answer half-full, or half-empty. I choose the former.

As soon as I began seeing the world through that lens, I’ve been able to stay in tune with the events happening around me, but they don’t bog me down the way they once did. It’s all about perspective. A lot of Americans have unfortunately gone about this wrong way in recent years, and I include myself in that pool up until my epiphany.

You see, most Americans have concluded it’s dark out there and there’s nothing they can do to fix it. Others have decided that they simply will not follow the news anymore. Some have done all of this. Here’s the reality. It’s only as dark out there are you opt to believe it for yourself. You decide how truly negative you see it. Again, perspective helps here. Historically speaking we’re living in the best of times by almost every metric quantifiable. Fixing it is a daunting challenge. But, it’s not as challenging if you simplify it down to the local level within your community. You have the power to do a lot of good. Way more than you think. Believing and acting upon that belief is all you need. Lastly, turning off the news may help put you at ease, but not staying informed in an era where one can do so in the easiest ways possible is a poor decision. There are countless ways to remain informed while not having your blood boil over each night. Again, you’re in charge.

Going forward I’ll write more on this, and eventually I’ll start discussing specific topics that are occurring around us. It’s important to start here, however. Until next time.