on March 6, 2018
If you believed everything you read in the newspapers and online, you’d think that the end of the world is tomorrow and we’re all doomed. Rarely do we hear good news from the general media and that “doom and gloom” sentiment is reflected in social media and in our everyday conversations.
Yes, there is a good deal of ugliness in the world, but are things really THAT bad? Do we need to be building bunkers in the middle of the woods?
Not at all.
If you take a global perspective AND look at long-term trends, our lives, as a whole, are actually improving. Despite what we’re often told, there IS a lot of good happening in the world.
Just look at poverty. According to Forbes.com, “Two hundred years ago, only a privileged few were not living in extreme poverty…But today, those living in extreme poverty are now less than 10%.”
Yes, poverty is still an issue, and it’s still significant that one in ten people lives below the global poverty line, but things are improving. Most of the gains we’ve seen have actually occurred over the past fifty years and they show no signs of stopping.
Reduced poverty is just one indication of how the world is improving. We’ve also seen a worldwide rise in literacy, a reduction in childhood mortality, and fewer infectious diseases.
And if we’re just focusing on the U.S?
Things are pretty good at home too. We’re experiencing a long bull run in the stock market, the housing market is strong, and, overall, crime is down nationwide. No, the U.S. is not perfect and we have a lot of work to do in some areas to keep up with other developed countries (our education system, for example, lags behind many other developed nations), but we’re making progress.
So, what do we do with all this information?
Start by changing your outlook. Don’t give in to the pessimism around you. In fact, be a bearer of optimism! The way you interact with others matters. Even when you’re talking about something that’s seemingly insignificant (like the weather!), try to put a positive spin on it. This kind of thinking will prime you for optimism and help you see the good that’s out there, rather than dwelling on the bad.
This all ties back to the Self-Wealth concept of HOPE.
What are we without hope? Without it, we don’t look forward, we don’t plan for the future. Without hope, we may struggle making it through the day.
Better to embrace an attitude of hope and go forward boldly, fueled by optimism. Remember: things are not as bad as many people say they are. I still believe in human resiliency, innovation, and the global drive for constant improvement. Who’s with me?