Why This Generation Should Not Bear The Pain Caused By The Problems In The World

The world is messed up. Between the tension in Missouri and the crisis in the Middle East, we know the world has reaching a critical tipping point.

How much more pain can we tolerate? More and more, it feels as though the world’s problems spill over into our personal lives. It’s hard to focus; we are more cautious when riding the train and we find ourselves glued to the news. The proverbial sh*t has hit the fan.

In these stressful times, we need to bring all this attention on the outside forces into perspective. We cannot continue to reflect the pain we witness into our day-to-day lives.

If we do so, our perceptions about things close to us become colored with the pain and suffering that the evening news delivers nightly. We have to put space between what we let in and the events abroad; we need to put it all in perspective.

Throughout history, humans have endured a tremendous amount of suffering. From the barbaric slaughtering of life because of differences among religion, to more recent wars, or fear stemming from scarcity of fuel, there is always something to worry about. But we always bounce back; there is always a better day.

When we look at it this way, we realize we have a choice: We can continue to focus and perpetuate the violence and pain, or we can look to the future where the issues are resolved and there is a collective peace.

Our minds are extremely powerful. We have the ability to attract things to us with our thoughts. If the monologue in our head is riddled with cynicism and grief, inevitably this stuff will present itself in our lives.

Think about it: Is it easy to think like an optimist after we find out that we’re gearing up for war? No, but it’s much easier to feel inspired after watching a documentary about a charity that is bringing clean water to a village in Africa. Be wise to where you place your focus.

If you apply this concept of thoughts having a real, tangible effect on a larger scale, we can see more clearly why events like the shooting in Ferguson play out the way they do.

In Ferguson, there's a black community that feels they’ve been served extreme injustice and the hate spreads from one mind to another; it gains momentum until you have a whole city looting and committing crime. Things are out of control, and it stemmed from one single incident that became fueled by the thoughts of many.

If the incident was portrayed as an isolated event and never made its way to the news, the country would not know about this. Again, it’s where we place our attention.

An attempt to change the minds of many is exhausting. It takes time, and the message needs to tailored and delivered accordingly. You can change your own perception easily; you can start to see the chaos of this world in its perspective.

You can start by seeing that national and global issues are reflections of what’s inside all of us. Think about a time that you were irrational and impulsive -- that is war. Think about a time you felt grateful and inspired -- that is charity.

How about acceptance and resolve? That is a peace treaty.

The ideas that go on in our heads can be applied to everything. They just appear on a grander scale because whole nations adapt a perspective.

So, if you feel you’re ready to let go of the anguish that is going on around the world, then let go. You have the ability to choose what you see. Change the channel, be mindful of what you click on and be aware of the words you select.

The pain of the world does not have to be your own. It is always a choice.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of Elite Daily.

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