Standing Against The Darkness

We are in dark times.

There are cruel wars happening.

Horrifying things occur to innocent people, even in the most developed parts of the world.

The world is going through terrible climate changes that are negatively impacting life everywhere.

There are more people than ever, but we are lonelier than ever.

We have the highest levels of health services, yet we are sicker than ever.

We understand the human brain better than ever, yet have worse rates of anxiety and depression than ever.

We spend hundreds of billions of dollars to improve people, yet we seem to be worse off than before.

We are connected to so many through the internet, yet so completely disconnected from reality.

There is so much information at our fingertips, yet we aren't even sure if we are able to trust any of it.

So much seems to be going wrong.

It is enough to rip Hope out of us.

It is enough to make us fall to our knees.

It is enough to induce deep pain and sadness.

It is enough to make us want to give up.

Yet...

What happens if we do?

What happens if we give up?

The answer is simple.

It will all get worse.

Is that something we can afford?

I don't believe it is.

The darkness will not wait for you.

It wins if we give up and stay disconnected.

If we give up, we lose.

Maybe it is because I'm competitive, but I don't like to lose.

Especially not if the stakes are as high as they are.

I believe Life is valuable, and I will not waste mine.

I have Faith that there are good people in the world.

People who want to improve everything around them.

Humans are creative, innovative, and capable of accomplishing extraordinary things.

When things seem impossible, we have found a way.

When challenges presented themselves, we have been able to figure out ways to overcome them.

These are some things I have come to learn.

Hope is not something we have, it is something we generate.

Our actions when aligned with our goals create Hope.

When we fall to our knees, we can stand back up.

To stand is a choice, and it is a better choice than to remain in the muck.

There is pain, yes, but we are far more resilient and capable than we realize.

People have figured out ways to not only overcome but even Thrive and Flourish despite the atrocities they have faced.

In Psychology, there is a concept called Traumatic Growth.

In the worst of times, in the most traumatic of times, our brain has natural ways to become better, to Grow.

Sadness exists in the world and the Emotion of Sadness is one we will feel, but we can also have a change in Mindset.

Both Sadness and Happiness exist as Emotions, but also as Mindsets.

Our Mindset is a choice, and we can choose a Happiness Mindset.

We may still experience the Emotion of Sadness, but we don't have to keep our Emotions.

Our Mindset is in our control.

There are a lot of problems in the world, it is true.

But none of them get fixed unless we do something.

All problems are figure-out-able.

We may need more knowledge than we currently have.

We may need more resources than we currently have.

We may need to meet new people than we currently know.

All these things can be figured out, as long as we unify toward a better World.

We must change our understanding of the darkness that exists.

We must learn to Stand BECAUSE there is darkness.

When we see darkness, anywhere, we must Stand.

We must seek the roots of the darkness, and remove it.

Now is the time.

Stand.