As you know, enough is happening around the world to turn anyone into a mental or emotional wreck.

There are wars and rumors of wars in the Middle East, particularly the situation surrounding Israel-Palestine. There is the apparently imminent threat of WW3 with Russia and China against the US and its allies. The cherry on top is a crisis of leadership, where our “world leaders” are dangerously incompetent.

The economy is froggy, with a challenging job market, and most average Americans feeling the pinch of rising costs of living. As you well know, the rumors are that we are due for an economic collapse (or “correction” depending on who you ask).

Elsewhere, the ancient enthusiasms for romance and relationships are now turning into bitter and cynical experiences between both men and women.

We are at an intersection of misery.

And the establishment media isn’t helping. Instead of feeding us good information and providing perspective, they are lying and blowing things out of proportion, which is fanning the flames of anxiety and hopelessness.

During these times it’s too easy to enter a dark place. Whether it’s self-pity, sadness, nihilism, anxiety, disillusionment, or even anger, these feelings are completely understandable.

I’m inclined to say, “Do not fear,” but that would be disingenuous. There is much to fear in our modern world.

I spoke with a neighbor not too long ago about the concerning state of the world, and yet she couldn’t understand why I was still joyful and excited for the future. She said she wanted some of what I was smoking. To be fair, I think most people would say the same thing

I know it’s scary. But here is an incontrovertible truth: there is much more life to be lived.

Take WWII for example…

The generation that came out of it was called the “greatest generation.” They went on to pop out lots of kids, and experience the most explosive prosperity in human history. Japan felt the nuclear bomb, TWICE, yet eventually became one of the top countries in the world. Much of Europe was in rubble, but it was rebuilt and is still among the top tourist destinations. I haven’t even mentioned the Cold War.

Let’s go back even further. 536 A.D. was considered by many to be the worst year in human history, and yet humanity moved on and continued to thrive.

Michael Malice once said, “As long as you’re alive, there is still hope.”

I’m here to let you know that I understand your pain and fears. And some of them I’m sure that I do not understand.

But whatever you do…

Please live in the present, think long term, and fully enjoy the little things.

One thing people love doing in times of crisis or uncertainty is doom-spending; this is the act of demonstrating that they see a dim future, and therefore spend frivolously to comfort themselves while deferring their goal and dreams.

They commit financial sabotage by throwing in the towel and essentially giving all of their hard-earned money to Corporate America.

Let that not be you.

Save your resources, position yourself, and invest in your future. There are better days ahead.

You never know what you’ll become five or ten years from now. Don’t be the one that has nothing to show for all the hardship you endured; especially when opportunities arise.

Also, please swallow your pride, and accept help whenever and wherever you can get it. I’m not just talking counsel/therapy; I’m talking about other resources that better position you for tomorrow. Most good opportunities in life are not created by your talent anyway, but by relationships and connections. So think of the big picture, and tone down your ego just a little bit.

Ultimately, what I am asking you to do is to be patient and defiant. Start with the little things.

Keep riding your bike; go to the beach or the lake; take your full hour for lunch; exhaust your vacation time; take a morning stroll on a cup of coffee and hear the birds, listen to the city sounds and feel all that life.

Take your showers, keep going to the gym, keep improving your looks, keep saving your money, keep enjoying your hobbies, keep pursuing your passions, and lastly but not least, keep building and nurturing healthy relationships.

When you do that, you are walking in triumph. Because in our time, it’s very easy to walk defeated. As you’re reading this article, there are so many white towels being thrown, that it’s alarming. People are understandably at their breaking point. But be the minority with this simple mindset and you will win.

Yes, life is short. But when it’s not going well, it can be quite long. Let’s not make it longer in that
regard. In the same way that you’ve been told not to sweat the small stuff, in this case do your best not to sweat the “big” things either.

Stay in the fight, do your best to keep your demons at bay, focus on what’s in front of you, and leave most of the fretting to everyone else…champ!