I know at first glance the title of this article appears morbid, but hang on - I have a point.
The world today seems to be steadily declining. It appears almost every other day you hear in the news "so and so was shot" or "that country was attacked". These are dark times, and it may feel as if the world is spiraling out of control, but there is hope.
Hope can be found in the people who are willing to put aside differences of opinion for a hug instead of shouted threats. It can be found in the bonds that are formed in dangerous situations and the communities that come together in a time of crisis. It truly can seem like a time of depression, but you have to know where to look to find the silver lining.
It does seems lately that the downward spiral is accelerating, but the point is right now depending on where you are, there are things to be grateful for, this is not the worst this world has seen. History is unfortunately doomed to repeat itself unless we learn from it and change our ways.
If you have seen "Miss Congeniality," you know the classic beauty pageant question answer is that we want world peace. Unfortunately, we seem to be heading away from that ideal rather than towards it. Whether world peace is a realistic fix or not remains to be seen, it seems impossible for everyone to be pleased, but it is something to work towards. There is growing dissension across the nations regarding a myriad of things, but my hope is that we can put aside a few of them for the sake of peace. I know it sounds cliche to say world peace is the solution, because it is honestly an unrealistic one, but loving instead of hating and laying aside differences can bring peace to some situations and relieve bits of tension throughout the world.
The reality today is that we will probably hear of another shooting, attack, protest, or revolt, possibly within a few days. Our generation may yet live to see more tragedy or war. The key is to look for the light in the darkness. The bits of good that come of the dark times. We have to hunt for the silver lining in the clouds. We have to be the change we want to see in the world, to quote Ghandi. Look for the hope and light around you and hang onto it, because it may the most important thing in time to come.
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light" - Albus Dumbledore
Remember to turn on the light and we'll make it through these dark times.
