Don't you think that the world seems to get crazier by the day? I do. Do I despair? Not really and when I do, it's only for a few minutes, then I move on. I have become more aware of what is in my control, what is not and what I don't control but have some influence upon. Yes, it is exactly what the Serenity Prayer is about. The key, as stated in the prayer, is to have the wisdom to know the difference.

 

I don't get sucked in the drama anymore. I used to and no good ever came out of it, mainly because the drama is entertainment provided by the media. Did we ever have poor leaders in the past who were more interested in their own power than in the good of the nation? We sure did and you can find them across our recorded history. Was Democracy ever jeopardized? Yes, many times and yet, it survived, the sun is still rising and Earth spinning. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I loathe the lies told by politicians, the stupidity of some people given air on television, the unfairness of the tax system. Can I control any of it? Not really. The only influence I have is my vote — and I will use it — but being indignant, depressed or argumentative is not going to change anything at all, so I just observe without any emotional involvement. Some people feel called to activism and I am grateful for the ones who do fight the good fight. 

 

For all I know, things might take a generation or two to calm down and I only have this one life so I am serious about living it the best I can. I focus on what I can do to become the person I want to be and do the things I want to do, besides what I have to do. 

 

It is my one beautiful life and I'll be damned if I let people with low standards poison it. I am going to carry on learning what I can do better, how I can be a better person and taking really good care of myself. If someone insults me for wearing a mask  — as has just happened to my brother — I'll keep on walking. I will not get sucked in anyone's drama; I have better things to do. 

 

My privilege is to have been born and I want to honour it because it is only for a tiny moment in the history of this world so I am making the most of it in my own way with my personal means. I try my best to treat people kindly and the planet respectfully.

As I am writing, the sun is rising and some of the clouds have taken a pink colour for a few instants creating a beautiful contrast with the dusty blue around them. I choose to lose myself for a moment in its beauty. I collect these moments and they keep me going when negative feelings threaten to take over. I remember that, while I am alive, I am part of infinite life and space and I let myself be embraced by it. I let the wider world elevate me above the small world drama. 

 

To navigate these crazy times, I find it helpful to either zoom in so I focus on an activity I enjoy or zoom out and picture the blue planet, her oceans, her plants, her animals doing their usual thing. Both are sacred and the rest will pass. I used to look at seasons in terms of change in weather, now I keep my focus on what is happening in the natural world as a marker of seasons. The weather, I realized, is just the drama. Let's keep our eyes on what truly matters!

May you and I be safe, may you and I be happy, may you and I be healthy, may you and I be at peace.