I’m not going to beat around the bush. As we collectively heave the last shovelfuls of dirt onto the grave of 2020, this past year has felt like the lousiest this country has ever experienced in my lifetime. Full stop.
Sure, the hairstyles in the 80’s were a bit of a tragedy. The 90’s were awesome. 9/11 was devastating and forever changed this country for the worse, but it also elicited a sense of national unity that most had never experienced. The great recession took a financial toll on untold millions, but at least the general sentiment was that we’d learn from past mistakes and brighter days were ahead.
But 2020? When battle after battle doesn’t go in your favor, one starts to feel increasingly stalked by the notion that perhaps the war is forever lost.
Pandemic. Mass layoffs. Anti-intellectualism. A president who has never given a fuck about anyone but himself and never will. And worse, an entire political party and propaganda outlet enabling him every step of the way.
This country is in a bad place and many fear it will only get worse. The truth is there’s very little you as an individual can do. But if you can’t change the world at-large, you may as well do everything possible to change your world.
What do I mean by that? Think small. Try to block out all the noise and awfulness out there and instead focus on finding peace and happiness inside the bubble of your own little sanctum sanctorum.
Stop watching the nightly news. Watch movies instead and revel in their sense of escapism. Stay off social media. Never waste your time arguing with strangers online. Participate in a hobby. Exercise. Read. And most of all, spend as much time as possible with family.
Want to hit the reset button and start anew? Begin by watching the below video featuring the “This Is Water” speech by David Foster Wallace. It’s calming, meditative, and serves as a simple re-alignment of ones perspective.
