If You Feel Hopeless About the World, Watch This.

I don't know about you, but for me, life and the world have been feeling even stranger than before, recently. And I feel like with many people, and I've experienced this myself too, especially recently, that it makes us just kind of lose interest in things and just kind of be like, okay whatever. Like the problems that we are facing and the systems that are in place, it can make us feel really kind of hopeless. And I've definitely been feeling like that recently. So I want to talk about that today. This is not going to be a negative or scary video. Not at all. I think that there are plenty of negative things already out there. So I don't want to contribute to that. In fact, I kind of want to talk about where this feeling comes from and what we can do with it in a more positive way. And what I'm trying to do with it myself too. I actually wasn't planning on filming today at all. I also don't really have like a well written out script or anything like that for today's video. I kind of just want to have a heart-to-heart with you in case you recognize some of these feelings. And so I do have some notes. I wrote them out old school with pen and paper in my little notebook that is old and tattered and that I've had for like 12 years and is still not used up. As always of course feel free to join me, grab yourself something nice to drink. I have some lovely herbal tea right here. I'm actually gonna set this down, because I put too much in here. Again, I'll never learn. And also like it has cooled down here a little bit as well with the temperatures. But my body is like it's retaining all the heat. Like I'm still feeling so hot. And like, I don't know, maybe tea was not a good idea. But anyway, grab something nice for yourself to drink too. So with everything that is going on in the world, and everything that is receiving a lot of attention to things like climate change, things like the systems that are in place that are only really there to benefit a very small number of people and that many other people are only hindered by. I think it's very normal to feel a little bit scared or uncertain or just fearful or maybe even frustrated and angry. And people can only kind of like deal with so much, I think, that You know, many people are starting to choose to stay away from the news, which I totally understand and totally get. And something that I do myself sometimes too, because it's just becoming a little bit too much. And it can eventually lead to us feeling kind of hopeless or kind of having this feeling of like, okay whatever, like this is out of my control, I can't do anything about this. And it hurts too much to keep caring. I think many of us are sometimes feeling a little bit misaligned in life, that we are kind of pushed to exhibit certain kinds of behavior that actually cause us to feel less connected to ourselves, to each other, to nature, to the world as a whole. We are sometimes being told that we are all different and that we need to, you know, be angry at each other or be scared of each other. We are being told through social media and advertisements that you know our life is less than and we need to buy this and this and this to feel better or to look better or to have a better life. So maybe we are starting to also feel you know less than or when comparing our life to others we might feel like we are on the the losing end of it. More and more people are starting to spend more and more time on their phone which can you know in the moment feel nice. It can either be like a fun distraction or maybe you know some some of the things we do online are worthwhile. But the way that these platforms are set up, and the way that social media is set up, it is designed to keep people hooked, to keep us spending as much of our time on our phone as possible, to exhibit certain kinds of behavior. Like for example, grabbing your phone as soon as you get up, or you know, being on your phone when you're in bed. And you know, when you think about that, like it's not hard to imagine why we are starting to feel more disconnected from ourselves and from each other and from life. Because you know, we're always just doing this. We're not really being aware of actual life happening and unfolding around us and the people around us. And this is one of the things that I really enjoy about minimalism and intentional living. And where I find this to be so so helpful for me personally in my life. That first of all, I am aware of the forces that are constantly being thrown at me, trying to convince me to buy things that I don't need, and to spend my lovely time and attention and energy on their platform. Where if you are aware of this, and if you know what you really find important in life, and the fact that it is not to be found necessarily in consumption of products you don't need, or spending hours a day on social media, then it is a little bit easier to resist. And I do think that social media and our phone usage is so connected to consumerism and convincing people to keep buying, buying, buying. Because it all works together. Like with influencers sharing these must-have products that are making money from that. Because they are making money through the affiliate links of, for example, the Amazon products that they are selling or that they are promoting and showing. And everything you see nowadays has a link underneath it, or like a TikTok shop thing, or even just the idea that if people are fearful, or if people are unhappy, or if people are insecure because they are comparing their life to that of other people online, we are easier to sell things to. And more and more resources are being spent to convince us that we need things that we don't need. And also to lower that threshold to buy them now with so many things being available to buy now pay later or paying in installments. And these things are all designed, they are not for our benefit. They are not really to like be helpful in getting us things that we do really need and maybe are difficult to afford to buy in one go. Like in that case it's helpful, but in most cases it is just as a way to make people think like, oh it's only like 10 bucks now. Like yeah it's 40, but it's only 10 right now. So it is all designed to keep us spending money, and to keep us on our phone and to keep us unaware. And so being intentional and living a slightly more, not even necessarily minimalist life. I don't think that everyone needs to live a minimalist life necessarily at all. But just being aware of what's happening, of how we are, you know, being manipulated and focusing on, okay, what do I want? Like, what do I find important in life? What do I need to be happy? And when you notice that this is happening, asking yourself like, okay, just kind of like looking inside yourself and remembering who you are and what you find important and how you can show up in the world and gladly missing out on all the other stuff. And for me, I noticed these feelings of sometimes frustration and helplessness. They are very understandable. And I think like, let me know in the comments if I'm not, I don't think that I'm the only who has these feelings sometimes. I really don't and so let me know. But I think that they can also be turned into positive change. If you are feeling misaligned or if you're feeling kind of chronically unhappy with your habits, your routines, your daily life and feeling like, you know, maybe there's something missing or there's a little bit too much of this and too little of that. Like take it as a sign to take back a little bit of charge and maybe put the phone away and focus on what you really need to be happy and how you can maybe give that to yourself. I keep having to adjust the lighting so I hope it's okay. It's a little bit difficult to film today because it's very overcast but the lighting changes like every five minutes. When it comes to the news also try to be mindful. I'm not saying to avoid the news altogether. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't avoid the news altogether. It really depends on the place that you are in life. Sometimes I personally feel like I can handle being a little bit more informed and I want to know what's going on. And other times I'm like, okay, this is a little bit too much for me. I'm shutting it out for a little while. We have to remind ourselves that also the news is unfortunately phrased in such a way to keep people very scared and to have very shocking headlines. And those kinds of things tend to get more clicks and therefore more engagement. And that is the way the news is formed. I'm not saying that these things aren't actually happening in the world, but there is also the aspect of how these things are being told to us, how they are being presented. So try to keep that in mind. And if you do feel like you need a little bit of a news break, don't be afraid to take it. And there are also ways to kind of stay informed about some things, but not necessarily like consuming the actual news. Like if there is something going on in the world that you want more information about, you can google that. And not necessarily like watch the news or read the news every day. This made me think about something that was like kind of like a thing a couple of years ago when people were quiet quitting their job. Which meant that they were still going to their job but they kind of stopped caring. So they didn't like do the extra things that maybe would get them noticed or you really like put their heart and soul into what they were doing. They were doing kind of like the bare minimum to not get fired and to just keep getting your paycheck. And I feel like some of us maybe are sometimes feeling like we are like quiet quitting on the world and on each other. Because the forces seem so big and they are so out of our control. But we do have more control than we think we do, I think. And for me also, climate change has been a really big one recently with, you know, the heat waves that we've been having and the fires and the drought and things like that. I've been a little bit scared. And it's easy to feel a little bit lost there. Another one is AI. I don't even want to go into that whole thing. But yeah, it has made me feel a little bit scared too. So if you are feeling similar things, then take that maybe as a sign that this is not your fault. Not any of this is your fault. But there are some things that I think you can still do. If you're on your phone and you feel that it is not making you feel any better right this second. Like put it away and do something else. Maybe try to see what you really need to be happy and to feel connected and to feel calm and safe and grounded. And maybe go visit somewhere in nature or go to a park if you can. Or maybe find some kind of connection with someone else. Maybe a friend or a family member. Get back into a nice hobby. Something you really enjoy doing. Maybe it is crafting, or knitting, or playing music, or drawing, or something that doesn't require you to be online. Try to be intentional about your purchases. And I don't necessarily even mean that it is bad to buy stuff that makes you happy, or that you find some joy in. That is perfectly fine. But with everything that is being sold to us on a daily basis, and the thousands and thousands of ads that we are subjected to every single day. It is such a valuable skill to sometimes ask yourself like, do I really need this? Like, do I really want this? Do I really feel like this would make my life better? The latest trends with fashion or some kind of kitchen gadget that looks super handy, but when you really think about it, it's not actually that much better than maybe what you already have. Recently I've come to really appreciate again how little I actually need to feel happy in my daily life. And I don't mean that to sound like little, because some of these things are actually really big things. Like the basic needs, having shelter, feeling safe, having food to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear. You know, having that kind of feeling of maybe someone in your life to share things with. Or these are like very normal basic human things that we all need. And I feel so so grateful to have these needs met. I cannot even put into words sometimes how grateful I feel and how blessed I am to have these things. And knowing that and really being so appreciative for that and being so grateful for that has also been helpful for me to really realize that I don't need that much to truly enjoy my life, you know. I am happy here. I have some people around me that I enjoy spending time with. I have some hobbies that I think are fun. I have some books to read, some video games to play. I can go outside and go for a walk. I don't need that much outside of these things. And I think that this feeling of gratitude and appreciation for the things we already have, can really help to combat these feelings of fear or anxiety or anger or frustration. Or feeling less than, because you don't necessarily have what the other people online are showing. Maybe they have a bigger house. You know, we have a beautiful little apartment, but it is not very big, it's not new, it's not fancy, it's actually quite old and kind of, well, I wouldn't say broken down, but it's not in perfect condition. But anyway, I could so easily feel like my life is lacking because I don't have a fancy house with a garden and, you know, something that looks a little bit more maybe impressive. But realizing what you really need. And the fact that you already have most of these things, for me personally, speaking from my own personal experience, I have the things I need, has really been super, super helpful. And I think these feelings can be a really good stepping ground from which you can then think about, okay, like how can I take charge of my life a little bit more? How can I take charge of how I spend my money and how I spend my time? Do I really want to keep doing what some of these systems are designed to keep people doing keep people hooked on their phone and keep people buying stuff they don't need and how how would I rather spend my time and really being able to kind of have this like quiet rebellion in a way of taking charge of your own life because I think that that is quite powerful because you are creating first of all a happier situation for yourself so that is creating more positivity in the world. Perhaps you can inspire others around you to do similar things. Maybe someone, I've had this happen recently where I was sitting in the train and I wasn't on my phone. I was just staring out the window and someone directly across from me said something like, I love how you're not, you know, looking at your phone. This person was kind of like inspired by that because, you know, looking around me, I think I was the only one who wasn't on their phone at that time. And I'm not saying like I'm never on my phone, because I do it too sometimes. But I wasn't back then. And it was inspiring to someone. And maybe, you know, your little changes, your positive attitude, and the way that you are taking charge and shaping your own life in a way that actually is meaningful and beneficial for you, can inspire others to do the same. So you never know what kind of like force of good you can be with very small things. And of course there's more you can do. You can vote. You can vote for change, positive change, a more compassionate world. You can decide which things you want to support and don't want to support with your money, if that is something that you are willing to do. I'm not saying you have to do that, not at all. But that can be a little bit of a feeling of having some kind of control over these very large things that we don't really have that much control over. If you are feeling a little bit fearful sometimes for, for example, climate change. Maybe see if there are things that you can do to decrease your own impact in that. If you are concerned about AI, maybe see if you could try to engage with content that is made with AI less frequently. Kind of going out of autopilot mode and being like, hey, I actually don't think that this is such a good idea. I actually don't think that this is making me any happier. And what can you do instead? Well, it's starting to get really dark now, and it's starting to really like rain a lot. Like pouring down rain and I'm just so happy. Oh I'm so happy with the rain. Anyway something that I always find very helpful and that every time I come back to it I'm like, oh yes this is why I love this. Something that I would recommend trying maybe if this sparks your interest is loving kindness meditation. Because I feel like in the world where we are being kind of driven apart or when we're feeling less connected to others, especially people that aren't you know in our own direct environment this can be really helpful loving kindness meditation has lots of scientific proof that this works that it helps to change our brain structure helps to increase feelings of love and empathy decrease stress responses in us and improve our mental health and it's also a way to realize and remember that we are all basically the same. And that basically everyone or almost everyone is a decent human being and we're all trying our best in this kind of crazy world right now. So how loving kindness meditation works? It's very simple, it doesn't take much time. You repeat four phrases in your head and you think about someone. And the first step is you think about yourself. So you say, may you be happy, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you be at peace. And you repeat that to yourself in your head, maybe close your eyes if you want to, you don't have to, and think about yourself. The next step is you repeat those four exact phrases, but you think about someone else that you really love. So for me, for example, I would think about my partner and I would start to, you know, whenever I think of him, I just start immediately overflowing with love. So I think of him and I say in my head, may you be happy, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you be at peace. It doesn't have to be a partner, it can also be a friend, a neighbor, maybe someone who helped you with something recently, someone who did something for you. Just someone who kind of inspires a positive feeling. Next you try this with someone you feel neutral about. So I don't know, maybe someone at work for example, or a neighbor in your building or someone like that. You say the exact same four phrases and you think about them. May you be happy, may you be safe, may you be healthy, and may you be at peace. And you're wishing that onto that person. The next step, and this one might feel a little bit challenging in the beginning, is to think about someone you actively dislike. And you say those exact four phrases. May you be happy, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you be at peace. And so you wish that onto someone who doesn't inspire many positive feelings in you. Which can be very powerful. And every time I do this, I experience different kinds of emotions with this one. And the last step is you say these words and you think about all of humanity, everyone on this planet, maybe even include the animals because they are here too. And think about you know, may you be happy, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you be at peace. Maybe write down these four phrases on a sticky note somewhere and hang it up somewhere in your home where you're kind of like bound to come across it at least once a day. And this doesn't have to take longer than a a few minutes. But it's very, very powerful and I do think that this can help to create a more compassionate world overall, which is what we need. I'm trying to look over my notes to see if I've missed anything. I see that I wrote here, put the phone away and stop buying crap you don't need. Well, I think that's a good advice. But I say this with so much love in my heart for you and for people everywhere because it's not times are not easy and times haven't been easy in history too so I'm not saying that like this is something new it happens but we are we are only able to to deal with so much and I think that is very normal for people to kind of like retract and be like I'm gonna go inside my own shell and stop resisting or stop caring but maybe these are some positive ways to channel that energy instead, that could be much more helpful. At least for you, because you deserve that. You deserve to feel good on a daily basis and you deserve to live your life in a way that supports that. And then also if you can, then we can all try to be a force of good in the world. Because all of our individual impacts are small, but together we can be very powerful. All right, that's it. I'm gonna stop filming now, because I have no idea what I'm doing with this lamp. The lighting is, it's so dark right now. Thank you so much for being here and joining me for this impromptu video. I would love to know your thoughts in the comment section. And please share any tips that you may have for dealing with these kinds of feelings. That might be helpful for others who are reading the comments too. If you want more videos from me and also help me to keep making the free videos for everyone here on YouTube with Simple Happy Zen, then you can always choose to become a channel supporter. It means a lot, it helps a lot. Don't worry about it if this is not possible for you, that is absolutely fine, because you watching this video right now is also really helpful. Liking, commenting, sharing, subscribing, all these things also really help, and they're all free. So that is great. And if you want more videos from me, and you want to support the channel that way, then you can always join on either Patreon or on YouTube memberships. It is the same, so I just have both options available. You can choose whichever one you fancy. And if you do that, you will get access to two bonus videos from me every month as a thank you for your support. And I've been doing this for many years, so there are I think like 150 or something videos already up that you can catch up on if you want. And you will get access to those as soon as you join. So the links are in the description box. But regardless, thank you so much. I'm sending you so much love and a really big hug. And we'll chat again soon. Bye bye. You know what? I am actually looking forward to cleaning the kitchen this weekend. Because it's been really hot, so I just haven't really been in the mood to do like a thorough deep clean of stuff. But now that the temperature has cooled down, I'm like yeah, I am cleaning the kitchen.