Tag: small actions matter

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How to cope with it all

Looking back over the last few years, life seems to be one long onslaught of bad news, disappointments and bad decisions. Starting with the 2008 recession following the bursting housing bubble, to the unnoticed economic downturn in 2011, including the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris and the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015, Brexit in 2016, over COVID starting in 2019 resulting in multiple lockdowns over 2 years, to a full blown land war in Europe and finally, inflation now appears to pull the rug out under many people’s feet.

I didn’t even mention mass shootings, gun violence, wildfires US and wildfires Europe, floods, religiously motivated killings, car crashes, hate crimes and ever rising taxes… because somehow, they seem so “normal” these days.

There’s just so much “bad stuff” is out there. It all appears too much. It appears too much because it is much.

How can we stay sane and safe in a world like this?

How can we stay sane and safe in times like this?

How can we stay sane and safe at all?

I believe that Howard Zinn said it best:

To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places – and there are so many – where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.

Howard Zinn

I agree with Zinn in that actions – also small actions – make a huge difference in the world. They definitely made a difference in my life and helped me move from a dark period in my life to a good place where I see the future in a much better light.

At one point, I only had enough energy for one positive action in my life: buy the cheapest, nice looking bunch of flowers at my corner shop. It was a very small action but the impact of my life was great. I always looked forward to the next bunch of flowers and they cheered me up every time I looked at them – and I looked at them a lot. Slowly but surely, this small bunch of flowers brought back a little light into my life and I managed to push back the darkness. As a next step, I started to walk the 2 miles into work which meant I got more daylight and made me feel better and fitter. Then, I incorporated some self-care and slowly but surely, I overcame all the big challenges in my life.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pezels

My life is not perfect by any means (I’m still doom scrolling more than I’d like) and I still continue with this habit of small actions to this day. I wholeheartedly take actions believing that a better future is possible. Furthermore, I know that if I want to see a better future, I must contribute myself.

So my question to you is: What small action will you take today to bring about a better future, to bring about your victory?

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Fight for your right to privacy!

I am a very private person. Whilst I’m happy to share a lot of personal information with people I know and trust, I don’t tend to share important data and most certainly, I won’t share it with everyone. For example, I do not want to share my menstruation pattern with anyone at all least of all Facebook. I see no point in sharing my personal health information with my workplace. After all, if I’m fit to carry out my work, then there shouldn’t be any need to reveal more. I also see no point in sharing information on my personal believes or political affiliation with anyone other than those I wish to share it with.

The reason is not that I want to hide things. The reason is plain and simple that it’s nobody’s business.

Photo by Thomas Windisch from Pexels

If you haven’t seen the movie “Anon” (2018) yet, I highly recommend it. My favorite quote of the movie is uttered by the main character without a digital footprint: “It’s not that I have something to hide. I have nothing I want you to see.” This is how I feel too.

Why is privacy important?

Privacy is important because if it’s not respected, people die. As simple as that. For example, during World War II, people rightly or wrongly identified as “enemies of the state” were killed. It did not matter if they were a conscientious objector like Jägerstätter or Jewish or homosexual or mentally challenged (my grandmother’s brother was forcibly removed from their home in 1943) .

In the “United” States of America, privacy is being destroyed right now whilst we sit back and watch it happen. With the Republican plan to overturn Roe v Wade, privacy is under direct threat.

Sidebar: Overturning Roe v Wade is NOT going to stop abortions. It will merely make it more expensive and more dangerous – unless illegal abortion networks start up again… or we start using a DIY menstrual extraction kits again.

Roe v Wade is not about abortion. It is about privacy. It was a decision that everyone – man, woman, child – has a right to privacy. After all, it’s nobody’s business to know if you are pregnant or not… or if you want to – or are able to – bring up a child.

Please don’t think that Roe v Wade is only an issue that impacts women of child bearing age. Privacy – or lack thereof – impacts all of us (homosexuals, those in interracial relationships, disabled people, etc same list as above) and NOW is the time to act.

To keep YOUR right to privacy, I urge you to go out on the streets and make your voice heard! Call your senators and congressman and all other representatives and tell them to keep Roe v Wade as is!

I implore you to go out in November and vote for the party that has YOUR privacy and YOUR health interests at heart!

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If you are stuck, look up and find your sign

I left home when I was a teenager and needed all the help I could get. The biggest help came from advice my mother gave me. She drove me to the airport and whilst lost in thought when finding my way, she told me to look around me, to look up and find a sign. Surely, there would be signs to tell me where I have to go… and yes, there were signs and plenty of them. I had no trouble finding flight and start a new life.

This advise has been the best advise I ever received. I still use it to this day when I need a pointer in the right direction. Of course, the use of smartphones has reduced the need for physical signs somewhat. However, there are enough situations when I’m not clear where to go or which path to follow e.g. when trying to find my way to the correct room at university on the first day. In these cases, I always go back to the original premise: look for a sign.

Also when travelling, even if I don’t speak or read the language, it helps to have a map and compare the symbols and names to what I see in the real world.

Road Sign (Photo by Wilson Vitorino from Pexels)

Besides, since I started looking around more often, I now often see signs, posters, notifications which I find interesting or sometimes even impact my life. One example was a small note on the building entrance informing me that the water will be shut off next Friday morning and the exact start and end time. Another one was advertising the local Santa run in December which I wouldn’t have found out about any other way. It pays off to look around.

Try it for a week and see what signs you notice if you look out for them.

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8 weeks and counting…

8 weeks ago, Russia attacked Ukraine AGAIN. They expected a quick takeover of the country given the state controlled media opinion.

Fortunately, Ukrainians are fighting back and fighting back strongly. They know they are fighting for their lives and for their freedom. If they loose, they will loose everything – not only their homes and their money but also their lives, their families, their future.

There is a lot of talk of what may come next. Nobody really knows. We only know that it won’t be good or asked for and that it won’t stop anytime soon. Officially, the war will have gone on for 8 years and 2 months this coming weekend. This is too long.

Please continue your support for Ukrainians because if Ukraine falls, we may be next.

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The Easter bunny and keeping religion out of it

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated to any religion, faith or believe. Never have and never will.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday, the day when a dead person supposedly returned to living on earth for 40 days to then enter Heaven. To me, this sounds too much of a Zombie or ghost story to be realistic. Not to mention the pagan roots, the bunnies who bring eggs and the huge marketing push to buy chocolates. However, a lot of people globally see it as part of their believe system.

Chocolate Easter bunny Photo by George Dolgikh @ Giftpundits.com from Pexels

I firmly regard one’s believe to be a personal matter not not one of public importance. I don’t mind what people believe in and I don’t think other people should interfere in my personal believes.

I understand that live is not always easy and the hope to have a better life after the current one is an appealing proposition. However, many benefits can derived from congregating with like minded people rather than the specific believe itself according to a review on Skeptical-Science.com.

The main problem with religion as (I see it) is the division that comes with it. How many wars were lead to force one religion onto so-called “non-believers”? How many are still being fought today? Why do we still think in terms of “us” and “them”?

Wouldn’t it be better to think of everyone as an individual and in terms of their positive contributions to the world? I think so.

I think the world would be much better off if we focused on each person’s actual actions instead of what they say whilst congregating or showing off their faith. After all, if you really believe in your religion or faith, surely it would be sufficient to live by it; you wouldn’t need to showcase it.

So next time you see two people or communities or countries during a confrontation, look at what they do and listen less to what they say. Does it still look like well meaning religions, faiths, believes?

When US Evangelicals change laws to take away health care from people because it is their believe, does that make you think of a loving, wholesome religion?

That is why I would prefer it if religion or faith or believe is kept out of public life – because it makes things worse, muddies the waters and divides people. Keep religion and faith going if you like, practice it if you like but don’t bring it into public life and force it onto others who don’t want it.

Let’s start NOW. Let’s keep religion out of conflict and out of public life.