We hear it all the time – happiness is a choice and especially here in America, ‘the pursuit of happiness’ is our fundamental right as citizens. It is too easy to walk around the world being “negative Nancy’s” and in our extremely polarized times, living in the negative cannot effectively help people to bridge the gap and come together to find real solutions. Feeling negative towards each other keeps us divided and you know that famous quote - “united we stand, divided we fall” ...
Being negative and focusing on what is wrong while constantly complaining creates stress. It is a proven fact that stress KILLS! The Mayo Clinic suggests that being in a constant state of stress can exhaust our nervous systems and lower our immunity, therefore making us ripe for debilitating illnesses and ailments such as: anxiety and panic attacks, depression, viral infections, sleep problems, heart attacks, stroke, and high blood pressure (“Chronic Stress Puts Your Health at Risk”).
Did you know that when the American Psychological Association conducted their March 2022 Stress in America survey, that “73% of Americans reported feeling stressed and overwhelmed by converging news events relating to climate change, racial injustice, economic insecurity, and political uncertainty of where the nation is headed” (Huff).
Moreover, a Gallup global poll was conducted in 2019 that found Americans to be one of the most stressed people in the world (Chokshi). It is important to me to highlight this because I want my blog to go in a different direction. I do not want to contribute to making people sadder, angrier, stressed out, dismal or hopeless. I already lived through a time in my twenties where I was a perpetual cynic, and it did a major dent on my mental health. Once I decided to stay and fulfill my natural Earth timeline, I chose to continually strive toward being the change I wish to see in the world. If people need help and it is an inconvenience for me, I still help them. I donate blood regularly. If I see someone having a difficult day, I try to complement them and remind them that goodness still exists even when it feels like all hope is lost.
Those are just small examples.
No man or woman is an island, we are all part of an interconnected global world where our actions have a ripple effect even if we cannot directly see it. The articles I choose are going to highlight what is going right. The contextual analysis I will provide may seem heavy at times, but I will always end it on a positive note. It is important to understand the world around us and I believe strongly in duality. Too much of anything is bad; there must be a healthy balance. I have seen toxic positivity where people will not even look at the heaviness surrounding a subject, but they do themselves a disservice by not having a holistic understanding of why things are the way they are. We must know where we have been so we can learn from our mistakes and keep evolving as humans. I hope what I am striving for comforts your soul and maybe, just maybe, changes your perspective to look for the silver lining.
“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” - His Holiness, the Dalai Lama
Sources:
Chokshi, Niraj. “Americans Are Among the Most Stressed People in the World, Poll Finds.” The New York Times, 25 Apr. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/us/americans-stressful.html.
“Chronic Stress Puts Your Health at Risk.” Mayo Clinic, 1 Aug. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037.
Huff, Charlotte. “Media Overload Is Hurting Our Mental Health. Here Are Ways to Manage Headline Stress.” https://www.apa.org, www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/strain-media-overload#:~:text=By%20June%202020%2C%2083%25%20of%20Americans%20reported%20stress,pandemic%2C%20according%20to%20APA%E2%80%99s%20Stress%20in%20America%20survey.
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