We live in difficult political times. Rarely does a week pass without Donald Trump’s administration ignorantly destroying yet another important piece of hope for the world – whether in foriegn policy or its attitude towards climate change.

Under such circumstances, it’s easy to feel a sense of complete despair and powerlessness. With this powerless can come a loss of motivation. What’s the point in trying to live a good life or make a better world when your own small but committed efforts are dwarfed by the ignorance and destruction being meted out by some of those people in power?

The answer is this. The way we choose to live our own lives is now more important than ever. If we are living at a time where we can’t rely on those in power to speak and work for us, then we need to taking control in the one area where we do have choice and power – in our own lives.

We shouldn’t be lowering our own standards in the face of these problems. We should be setting an example of how to live kind, compassionate, thoughtful lives. We need to be beacons for the rest of society in dark times – millions of little points of light illuminating the way for other people.

So, here is a thought for the Christmas period and a resolution for the new year.

Avoid the news if you want. Don’t read or watch it if it’s just depressing and paralysing you. Instead, focus on living a good life in your own small way, with the people and communities around you. You’ll be leading a good, fulfilling life. You’ll also be setting an example and providing a light.

And one day, perhaps the world will catch up with you again.

 

For more on this, read: Manifesto for Life – 10 things you can do when the world’s gone wrong – from Life Squared