2016 has finally come to an end, thank god. I won’t go as far as to say that every person on the planet has had a rough year, but I think we can all agree that 2016 was, in general, a depressing one. Now we’re heading into a new year with memories of terrorist attacks, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, the deaths of many beloved celebrities and a polarizing presidential election still fresh in our minds. Plenty of good things have also happened as well, but besides Pokemon Go, I doubt many people remember them all.

The reason I bring this up is because the events of this year have left a lot of people pessimistic about the future. Time and time again I’ve heard people declare that the world is falling apart, and that it’s worse now than it has ever been in the history of, well, forever. On the one hand, I can totally sympathize with this mindset. The world can be a dark, dangerous place. But to say it’s gradually getting more and more deplorable is a bit of a stretch. The good is still out there - I’ll argue it outweighs the bad - but we get too wrapped up in the negative to even notice it.

It’s important to keep in mind that reality is different for different people. A kid growing up in rural America during WWII most likely experienced a happier, safer childhood than a kid living in a German-occupied, war ravaged country in Europe during the same period. On a personal level, I thought that the 2000s was the best, most fun decade of my life. But with 9/11 and the effects of the Iraq War, others may disagree. And imagine the 1800s, Africa during the slave trade, or the Medieval Times. You see what I’m getting at? Conflict happens, and every country has experienced it in some shape or form. Just because it’s not occurring in one part of the globe doesn’t mean it’s not happening on the other side. It’s happened throughout history. It’s nothing new.

Technology has also evolved to a point which allows us to witness the conflicts of every country at once. And the practice of “if-it-bleeds-it-leads” journalism doesn’t help either. So not only do we have the pleasure of hearing about the problems in our hometowns, but also in the surrounding towns, the state, the country, and in the states and countries of nations overseas. That’s a lot of negativity to take in, but you can’t let it consume your life. It’s important to know what’s going on, sure, but keep in mind that the window to the outside world has grown much wider over the years. People today can see the landscapes a lot clearer and more intimate than they could in the past.

Imagine how far we’ve come. Think about the improvements in technology, medicine, civil rights, security, communication, and so on. While the road to progress has been, and still is, shaky, so much has been achieved already. Good news isn’t a hard thing to find, even though it may seem so. Don’t be fooled or put down by the nonstop smorgasbord of negativity presented by the mainstream media. The world is a crazy place. It can be scary at times, but the beauty and goodness of it never slips away. I assure you that the world we live in is and will be just as strange and complicated as it’s always been.