Staying optimistic can be tough

Let’s just tell it how it is. It’s a tough time to be alive.
Not in the literal sense, of course. We should all be grateful for the life we have, and each day is a blessing. And of course, there is someone out there who has it much worse than all of us. These are all clichés, but they are true. If we start with that understood premise, we can still understand it’s a tough time to be alive.
How many of us would like to go back to January or February 2020 and have a chance to talk to our self at that time. The message? Undoubtedly, it would be “buckle up.” The world has been turned upside down since COVID-19 came into our lives, and every time we say “things have to get better,” they seem to get worse.
The challenges we have faced since then are too numerous to name. We had the summer of 2020, where legitimate protests in the name of social justice devolved into riots, death and general chaos. Innocent people suffered as criminals set fire to and destroyed anything they could get their hands on. We had the Jan. 6 attack on the United States Capitol, where former President Donald Trump sycophants unhappy with the election results from the previous November stormed the building with the hopes of keeping Trump in power.
While all of this was going on we were still in the grips of COVID-19, and a divide in this country that festered due to the election grew even wider as those in favor of lockdowns and masks clashed with those who wanted to live their lives. To some extent, that continues today, although it seems only medical facilities are still holding on to mask mandates.
Housing prices are through the roof. So are grocery prices. Supply chain issues continue to plague the world. The price of fuel has reached preposterous levels and only threatens to go higher. Mass shootings seem to happen every other day in this country. Russia invaded Ukraine. The stock market has tanked, threatening people’s savings. The torrent of bad news never seems to end.
No doubt about it, staying positive in today’s world can be tough. Despite that, we encourage you to try. Spread kindness. Try to focus on the good things happening in your life instead of the barrage of bad news. When bad things happen, we can try to stay positive, or we can be miserable and make others around us miserable. That latter tactic does nothing but make a bad situation worse.
Surround yourself with positive people. Take a walk in the forest. Get plenty of sunshine. Perhaps unplug from social media for a while, as it can be the lead culprit of affecting your mood. Studies show excessive use of social media can fuel anxiety, depression, “fear of missing out” and other mental health issues.
Yes, times are tough. Together, we can overcome them. Tell someone you love them and give them a hug. That will brighten both your days. Here’s to hoping better days are ahead.