It Could Be Worse

The problem with watching the news or trying to keep up with world events in general, is that much of it can be very depressing. Constant wars over disagreements, oil prices skyrocketing, prices of everything going up, global warming picking up pace. I could go on and on with depressing headlines that will seemingly never end. Even if that doesn’t get us depressed, many of us could look at our own lives and find so much wrong, so many things that could be better; issues with other people, issues with work, you name it, there is an issue that could be associated with it. Sometimes if I don’t check myself, the news and life can seem overwhelming at times, like its on a downward spiral. Luckily I rarely get like that, but when I listen to other people, many complain and it seems they get stuck in a rut of negativity.

Yet, everything could always be worse. Look at everything I listed above, and every single one could have an added aspect to it that compounds it and makes it worse. But if that’s all we look for, and we don’t broaden our perspective, or for some, narrow it, it can look like we are headed for the end of the world. I was listening to the radio this morning and during one segment they were talking about how everything just looks like its headed towards Armageddon. Then one of the hosts mentioned that when he turned off the news on TV and got off social media, things didn’t look so bad, his whole perspective changed, and he became happier. That is the simple fix to being overwhelmed by negative news and the world around us, turn it off. I for one never watch the news, I choose to read it instead, controlling my intake and not having it shoved down my throat. But there is also a different way of looking at things rather than just turning it off and tuning it out. For I truly think that we need to be aware of what is happening in the world, we just need to change how we look at it. That’s where the stoic philosophy comes into play.

Put simply, we need to look at everything around us through a certain lens. Can I control the event? If yes, then change it. If no, then change your reaction to it. We have the power within us to control how we react to all external stimuli. We can let it overwhelm us, or we can look at it objectively and take it for what it is and move on. That isn’t to say that we shouldn’t try changing things that are within our control, but there are many across the globe that are not. We need to regulate how we respond to everything in terms of how it affects us. If more people were able to look at things objectively, there would be less stress, depression, and anger in the world. And if there is something that so angers you that you feel the need to try and change it, then do it. Don’t lament the fact that someone else isn’t doing it, step up and do it yourself. There are many things in this world that are outside our control, and the sooner we can realize what those things are as we confront them in real life, the better off and more satisfied we will be. Things could always be worse, but we can always have a better attitude about it and realize that once something happens, it is over and done with and nothing is can undo it. Move forward, live in the present, and sculpt the life you deserve through your reactions.