We live in a troubled world. People who need justice are denied it, people who need love are hurt instead, and people who ask for just the basics of survival go without them. People do atrocious things, and have for as long as humanity can remember as a species. People act out of fear, out of greed, out of ignorance and hatred, and the world suffers as a result. But that is not who people are, truly, and at their core. Those are not the values we aspire to. Those are not the traits and ideals that we hold dear, that we celebrate in our greatest examples and that we project into our mythical stories. We fall short of those ideals, all of us, time and time again. But that doesn't make us evil, or irredeemable, it makes us imperfect. Being wise, compassionate, and just is still what, by and large, we strive to be, and how scores of people act in a multitude of uncelebrated and often unnoticed ways, however minor. Even when people end up chasing those ideals down the wrong path, or ignore them completely, it does not undo or drown out our capacity for them as a whole. Good, or right, or justice, or whatever you want to call it, is playing the long game. It's about making choices that, most of the time, don't help us in the long run. It's about being conscious of our actions, their impact, and their long-term implications, and that can be very difficult. But our entire lives are a chance at choosing those ideals. And the more we choose them, the more we internalize our ideals and work towards them, the easier it gets. And the easier it gets for us, the better we becomes, and even more importantly, the better we becomes, the easier it becomes for us to help others do the same. Even if it's a plodding, arduous path, one where even tens of thousands of years of trying doesn't let us solve our problems completely, it's one where what progress is made is enduring. Even when it seems hopeless, we can strive to better ourselves and the world around us. And if we can't change the world, we can try to change our nations. And if not that, our cities. And if not that, our neighbourhoods, and if not that, ourselves and ourselves alone. Because if enough of us can make that choice, it'll change the world anyway. It's the only choice we can make that will improve anything. "Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world." - Jack Layton
You hit the nail on the head Aernaroth. I'd also suggest simply mirroring financial/life decisions of those who are at least 10 years older than you. At any age, it seems that another decade of wisdom would have proven much more useful. (except don't utilize crackheads, bums, hookers, etc, as your role model) Everytime you are faced with a question regarding, "is it the right choice to make this decision now?" ask yourself instead would you regret having done that choice, ten years from now.
I think about the total amount of matter in the observable universe and then try to imagine how incredibly small the percentage of matter that is self-aware must be and how incredible it is to be able to ponder such things. The atoms that make up your body(mostly carbon) were created in the furnace of a dying star. Those atoms have formed and reformed many times into molecules of various things. Certainly parts of you were once rocks(the iron in your blood for one example) and possibly there are some atoms in your body that were once in a dinosaur...how cool is that? One day the atoms in your body will once again take a journey to another form and eventually they will be consumed by the death of our own star which will in turn explode and scatter all the elements of life back into the interstellar void. And round and round we go until cosmic expansion stops the engine of life for all time. So don't sweat the small stuff, don't let anyone else ruin your wonder at the majesty of your own existence and enjoy the ride. And now some mood music: Symphony of Science - 'We Are All Connected' (ft. Sagan, Feynman, deGrasse Tyson & Bill Nye) - YouTube
Then let me say this: You're at an age where you're becoming a part of the real world, in all it's ugliness, injustice, and horror. But at the same time, daunting as it may be, you are coming into the maturity to be a participant in that world, and to help shape it by your actions. And those actions, if you choose to, can expose you to the beauty and wonder in that same world. You are the descendent of champions. An unbroken line of winners, stretching back millions and millions of years. We all are, each and every one of us. Survivng, improving, evolving, it's in our blood, it's the common thread that ties us to history and to every other living thing on this planet. I can't claim to know the secrets of the universe or the future, but I don't think that's something we can turn away from. We've come a long way since we started walking upright, even if we've still got a long way to go. What if all the bad stuff, all our flaws, is just noise in the signal, and the message is that someday, even if its so far in the future we can't even imagine it right now, that we'll find our way? It's allright to see the imperfections in the world and get mad at them. It's okay to see the things people do and say "we can be better than that. We can live to a higher standard". But you can't shut yourself away from it. You have to be a part of the change you want to see. If that means reaching out for help, do it. If that means a long struggle you won't live to see the end of, so be it. The key is doing something, ANYTHING, that can make things better.
I furiously masturbate in the moonlight while watching Stewart Little. Joking aside, I can't help not being happy, so I can't really help you with this.
it is one thing to have a heart, and have empathy for others, but if you try to wrap your head around it all, you're just asking for the world to suck your soul dry. ever see any animals on nature shows go to court or shake hands and make up after a fight? nope. because it's either live or die. we've been blessed with enough sentience (or cursed, YMMV) to appreciate what we have to gain/lose and so we try to do what's right. you just do what you can within reason and distract yourself with other things to keep sane. though some things still depress me to the point it takes days to recover. like: watching women marry men on death row. WTF? Rebecca Black Money wasted on films like Battlefied Earth or Jack and Jill. Kardashians are successful. you get the idea. but to fix that, i sip lots of Kahlua and milk and listen to music. (oh, and porn.)
There is a lot you can do to try and take your mind off, for example do not look, or read the news, local or otherwise for a while anyway, also exercise, workout, clean out that cluttered garage , well anyway that's some of the things I try to do, but I also get pretty depressed sometimes as well, sometimes that is just life.
The world seems like sh!t right now, full of evil characters. I keep going because I know justice exists, and these enemies of society will go down one way or another. The good will outlast the bad. I reccomend you listen to The Times They're a Changin by Bob Dylan. It makes me feel better. And volunteer! that's such a great opportunity to do good around ya.
Are you planning on becoming a superhero? Life isn't about fighting evil. Don't get wrapped up on all the negatives and how you can't change them. Just do what you can for the better in the part of the world that you can affect, and you'll see that life isn't the bucket of sh*t it seems it can be. And most importantly - hunt the good things in your life, identify them, then build on and cherish them.
