Kissing Goodbye to the Zeitgeist of Unhappy.

[David Zephyr]

I know a lot of you sense it. It's as thick as mud in the air all around us. It's like there's one bad story after the next, one blow following another.

This afternoon I told a co-worker that it's like there is a pervasive Zeitgeist of Unhappiness everywhere. Like a green, thick fog of chemicals choking the oxygen away from us.

Whether I speak to friends or business associates or family, it just seems like we are all living in a really rough edged piece of time/space fabric. Most of us don't like to complain because we know so many are far worse off than we are, but it really does seem like life is just a grind these days.

First, there's the "economy" (I'm just so sick of even the word). All of us now people who have been hit by this depression (another word I'm just sick of). Those of us who are fortunate to be working have probably never worked harder and longer hours in our lives...and yet we are grateful for it.

I notice people are less cheery when I'm out in public, it seems like the smiles are fewer, the stress is greater. Turn on a television or radio and it's a collective psychological soup of bad economics, two wars. And there are these creepy attention-seeking, teabaggers screaming for the cameras, we see racists, xenophobes and these vile "birthers" all barking and barking.

Touchstone institutions that we were falsely instructed were towering reference points in our lives and long considered "too big to fail" have failed and are failing: General Motors, CitiBank, Chrysler, British Petroleum, AIG, Wall Street, Fannie Mae, the Catholic Church.

Foreclosures. Joblessness. Destitution. Bad news all around.

And then, of course, there is the corker of this Gulf of Mexico catastrophe. The psyche just strains at the heartache. My brain hurts more than Xanax can every dull.

I feel like Gene Hackman hanging on that single piece of pipe at the end of "The Poseidon Adventure" screaming to the heavens, "What else do you want? How much more can you deal out?"

Oh yeah, there's a Zeitgeist of Unhappy out there.

And yet, as the Buddhists might ask: is this truly reality?

I wonder.

Tonight I came home from working fifty long, hard hours this week and will have to go right back again tomorrow for another 10 hours on Saturday. But something finally hit me tonight. I'm not going to buy into the collective swarm of bad energy anymore.

OK. Expectations are lower or have vanished. So what? We are not the sum of material things and how we scratch out a living does not define us.

Our character does. Our ability to love does. Our capacity to be a friend does.

I'm stepping out of the bad acid trip tent where it seems so many are gathering.

Yes, there is a lot of bad out there. But there is also a lot of goodness, too.

And all of my cursing the darkness is never as good as lighting a single candle.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

The first smile we give out is the hardest, but they come easier and easier.

I can't change the world, but I can change myself. Voltaire told us in Candide that we can always tend our garden.

That's a great place to start.

And remember...

The sun will come out tomorrow,
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow, there'll be sun

Peace to you all here at the DU.

[knowbody0]

1. I am old now and I look at this time as

the great change we have all been yearning for. the old ways leave a third of the planet starving to death, and at least a third in bloody wars. we will evolve, of that I am sure.

peace to you, thank you for the wise words

[David Zephyr]

5. knowbody0

Share something good with us when you can. A good news story. And peace to you, too (I also am old).

[arcadian]

28. evolution is neutral

[MrMickeysMom]

40. Maybe this means we are the "change" we've been looking for?

Regardless of age, that makes us "change agents".

Sorry for the platitudes in my post. I feel I'm getting too deep here, but here goes...

If the way we have been treating our planet has to change, then I would guess that minds would have to go through somewhat of a process to move all of us through this change. We're in the battleground. Perhaps it's based on the repercussions corporations and powerful institutions having effectively produced the myths to enable this unbalanced and destructive world cycle. I believe the spirit of the times to find balance and therefore peace has happened too slowly after we humans started inhabiting our planet.

The physical world around us is perceived differently for business as usual, depending on what each one of us "possesses" and how much sunshine each one of us is willing to have pumped up our ass.

Peace in/out

MMM

[BanzaiBonnie]

44. The truth is not out there

It's in here. It's in our hearts. How we treat our planet is no different than how we treat ourselves.

Find the restraints put on you by society and remove them to find out who you are.


"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." - Marianne Williamson

[gateley]

53. Yes, like the saying 'as above, so below', I believe 'as within, so without'. The

world is our mirror.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

2. I have been reading these exact sentiments everywhere

What's interesting is many are suggesting, just as you did, that we get closer to the Earth
and community. Work in our gardens grow food, become transitional communities that are strong
and able to weather whatever lies ahead. One author even suggested we call it "The Garden Party."

AND MOST OF ALL...TURN OFF THE TV.

Thanks for the good thoughts.

:toast:

[David Zephyr]

6. And I thank you for your confirmation.

Turn off the TV. Yes! And, EmeraldCityGrl (I love your name), tell me a good story. Peace to you.

[femrap]

46. But I have to

watch 'Leverage' on Sunday nights. The Underdog gets the evil, rich people. It's wonderful! Everyone must watch! Then turn off your TVs. It's on TNT, I think. It's the only reason I have cable.

[Uzybone]

41. TURN OFF THE TV

Political "news" today on all sides seems designed to foster feelings of powerlessness, helplessness and anger. Its a very bad combination. Telling you that you should be angry but that there is nothing you can do about it. All lies.

[xiamiam]

43. turned it off for good last october...best thing i could have ever done

recommend to everyone...much easier to see the nonsense

[phasma ex machina]

49. +1 TURN OFF THE TV

Television and the Deadly Black Dust

Several months ago, I had a vision that showed me the destructive resonance of television. Any image of violence or negative sentiments would project a black dust out of the TV screen and on to the viewer.



The dust had an evil disease like quality about it, and would penetrate deep inside their ethric field. I feel sad that people are ignorant to the danger, and openly invite the dark forces into their homes and souls. It’s not surprising that the battle to establish the celestial is so uphill.

[gateley]

51. It seems as though I can feel a physical yearning to get close to the earth. Something

that is new for me in my life.

[David Zephyr]

80. Me, too.

And here's hoping you find that something new.

Oh, and here's something just for you, something new.

[gateley]

120. Boy that brings back memories! Those were some great songs!! Thanks! nt

[Lorien]

54. I turned off the TV many years ago and have been happier for it, but I still can't help

but eel ground down to dust by unemployment and very poor health. No work (and I actually love to work), no insurance, no health care, and now I have to worry about homelessness too. It would be easier to force happiness on myself if the other issues weren't all consuming.

[roxiejules]

74. A hug for you...

[krabigirl]

85. Yes! turn off the tv! well...unless you don't want to :)

[Silver Gaia]

130. If I felt I couldn't be selective, I'd turn off the TV, but...

there are a lot of good things I'd miss if I just turned off the TV. I am selective about what I watch, and try to stay away from the corporate media news shows, mindless blather, and extreme violence, but I enjoy the creative side of television, and would miss that greatly. There are a lot of good, creative people involved in television these days (especially the writers), and some shows are, to me, well worth watching. I love a good drama, or something well-done that makes me laugh, or great music or history. Those things are there, too.

It does me more good to stay away from all the negativity and bickering on the internet than it does to turn off the TV entirely. Reading through post after post of people arguing and name-calling, or doom-and-glooming about everything in the world, only makes me anxious. Watching television can be relaxing for me, if I'm choosy about what I watch. (And I am.)

As for the rest, I work in my gardens every day. That is the MOST relaxing thing I do, and is a must for me. The connection to the Earth I get from that is what grounds me in reality. I am happiest when my hands are in the dirt. I grow as much of my own food as I can, and enjoy creating gardens full of color, scent, and joy for myself and others. These are some of the most important things I do in my life. I'd love to join something political called "The Garden Party"! :)

[Go2Peace]

3. There is a place for each mood

There was just a study I read recently that grouchy people are actually more in touch with reality and make better judgements.

So while this is a difficult time, and we should all take a break and smile and enjoy the simple pleasures, it is also a time to be serious, frustrated, and yes, grumpy. It's appropriate. Because there is a lot to be done and it is a serious time. I think we just have to maybe develop a balance, and listen to each of those moods.

[David Zephyr]

7. Balance.

That's a good word. I can't speak for you, but only for me...and I've lost mine. But not anymore. :)

[femrap]

47. Yep...it's like

that bumper sticker: If your not appalled, you're not paying attention.

But laughter must be a daily experience. I make fun of the elite with their stupidity and cruelness. It 'balances' me.

[Hydra]

4. The toxin you see is people finally out of their artificial happy fog

And there are going to be big changes. Lots of people will suffer, starve and be killed.

But there will be a change. And, I think, a bit more truth.

[David Zephyr]

17. Well, the artificial fog has certainly lifted.

And having the scales fall from everyone's eyes may be a good thing.

Still, people need hope and cheer and love and encouragement...more so now than ever.

[Catherina]

8. I am not sure how to respond

but I recommend this as I start to look for the goodness too before being crushed by all the bad.

Peace to you too David. I wish us all more light. :hug:

[David Zephyr]

9. A precious real angel, Anne Frank, still teaches us to find goodness in a world of evil

Here's someone who counsels us that evil is bountiful, but goodness is still there if we look for it. This angel, Anne Frank.

If she could find goodness, so should we.

Thank you for your hug, Catherina. :hug:

[Catherina]

10. Just looking at her brings tears

Thank you for the hug. I feel so worn down now that I need to get away Next week I'm going on *vacation* to a remote place where the news will be in a language I don't understand and I'll be out in the streets walking and seeing things again instead of just reading bad news. I'm really looking forward to just being away for a while.

I've never seen that picture before, at least I don't remember it. She's beautiful in it, a true angel. Poor child and millions like her. Why is it so hard to live in peace?

I always feel a little better after reading your threads, thank you.

:hug:

[David Zephyr]

39. She is beautiful.

And so are you.

[duhneece]

76. Thank you for reminding me

Sometimes I need reminding of the Truth Anne Frank knew: we can choose to look for the good...or not.

[David Zephyr]

77. We do need reminding.

I know I do. Thanks, duhneece. :)

[FrenchieCat]

11. Nice message.

I like it!

Goodness is here, but sometimes it is not grand nor loud enough to be
easily noticed. Appreciating the small things is an art, and not easily
done by most of us. I can only wish for more goodness to be found by more,
in whatever form we find it.

[David Zephyr]

16. Goodness is here indeed.

It may be hard to find, as you say, but then again, it sure is worth looking for. :) Thanks.

[OneGrassRoot]

12. A huge K&R, with gratitude....and......

A new favorite quote:

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
~ Anne Frank


:)

:hi:

:hug:

:grouphug:

[David Zephyr]

14. And thank you for the golden quote from Anne.

:)

[Luminous Animal]

13. Can't accept this. I've been working 60+ hours a week. It's not a time for peace...

I'm 52 years old and I've been working since I was 7. I am exhausted. I remember my daughter crying on the phone because I couldn't make it home to tuck her into bed. Voltaire can say whatever the fuck he wants but, for many people, there is no time to tend the garden.

Peace to you David but there is no peace for me until all people can live in peace.

[David Zephyr]

15. I hear you.

I'm older than you are and my mind isn't as agile as it once was, I wear out easy at work, I find myself sometimes confused in the middle of the day, so I can't and won't argue with you.

And, I hate it that you couldn't tuck your daughter into bed. On the other hand, how fortunate you are to have someone who wanted you to do so that much.

And peace to you. The world should be filled with parents like you.

[Luminous Animal]

18. Aw, now you've gone and made me cry. I wish all the workers could

craft a world where we wouldn't have to work so hard.

[shireen]

86. +1

[lildreamer316]

19. HAPPY to rec this!

This is the best way we can handle these times.
Thank you.

[Prism]

20. Discontent drives change

Yes, it's very nice to engage in the Oprahesque remember your spirit and gratitude journals - emotional breathers are wonderful things - but you need not "buy in" to the unhappiness out there - reality doesn't require a buy in.

Things don't seem bad and it isn't a collective hallucination or shadows in the cave. Things are bad.

Some people don't want to disturb their beautiful minds, and that's very well and good.

But it is the disturbed who eventually say enough and push the change we desperately need in this country.

Yes, but all means, cherish and value the good things in life. But hallmark sentiment driven complacency is about the very last thing we need right now.

[OneGrassRoot]

21. I agree....

that discontent and anger at injustice and all that is wrong in our world can be the catalyst to drive change.

Yet, in my experience, so often people get mired in the anger, and it becomes hatred, and soon they are consumed with a sense of hopelessness, which leads to nothing. No change, just hopelessness.

I see the mess and the bad place we're in, and I'm trying to not have a positive attitude not in the sense of ignoring it, but having a positive attitude in the sense of, "Okay, what can we DO about this mess?!" and then move forward with positive action.

It's a fine line....that anger and discontent thing...

:hi:

[HughMoran]

24. Good response

Without a sense of hope that something will come from the anger, we degenerate into ineffectiveness.

[OneGrassRoot]

25. Actually, that was much more succinct and spot on....

I didn't come back to edit mine in time, so thank you for saying what I meant. :)

I may end up quoting you in my sig line, Dear HughMoran. ;)


:hi:

[David Zephyr]

31. +1

There it is. :)

[Prism]

61. Righteous anger in pursuit of justice is never a vice

The anger, at this point, is largely warranted. We are in the worst downturn since the Great Depression. There is a great deal of suffering in this country, and our political class is entirely unequipped to deal with it in a serious way.

Take, for example, LGBT rights. I hoped when I pulled the lever for Candidate Obama - twice. It's good to hope, and it's good to feel the actions that flow from that hope will lead to positive change.

However, anger must follow when that hope doesn't pan out. I'm sorry, but equality was never achieved because people asked nicely. Every civil rights movement in history succeeded because of a refusal of deference. It was the inconvenient righteous anger and widespread discontent that changed the world. It's the willingness of people to say "No, I am not ok with this. I will not sit idle. I will not go along to get along. I will not accept this. I will not swallow emotional opiates and pretend I am not seeing precisely what I am seeing."

The only reason LGBT rights have moved forward at the historic clip it has in the past forty years is because it has been spearheaded and driven by millions of incredibly pissed off queers who just aren't going to take it anymore.

I will not surrender that or poo poo it or talk down to them about their anger. Because that anger is what has allowed me the freedom and security I now possess as a youngish gay man. They changed the world by refusing to ignore the injustice or play nice or effect limp, "positive" change (which reads like "Do things that don't disturb people too much, because we don't like unpleasantness").

It is only when people are uncomfortable that the gears of society and government move. I am all about bringing that discomfort about in the pursuit of justice. I won't hope for things to get better, I will make them get better through concrete efforts.

Hope isn't an act, it's a passive emotional state.

And as for all this anger, I think people misunderstand it. Personally, I'm a fairly content individual. I like my life. I like living it. There are difficult times, yes, but I do what I can with what I have and try to mine as many positive experiences as possible. I think when we talk about anger, people get this image of people running around 24 hours a day possessed with inchoate rage at all things under the sun.

That isn't so. People can be pissed as hell, but still find things in their lives that are worthwhile. It isn't either/or. I can be furious with our government and society for injustice, but still be fairly chill and positive in my day to day life. It's more than possible. Nearly every LGBTer I know accomplishes this somehow.

Like Molly Ivins said, get out in the streets, bang pots and pans, show the world just how angry you are at the injustice of our government.

She didn't say sit at home and think happy thoughts and don't let it trouble you too much.

This is a call for a form of emotional passivity in the face of great suffering. Nope. Not gonna do it. I do not possess that Barbara Bushian characteristic.

[OneGrassRoot]

66. I think we're actually on the same page....

Thank you for sharing, btw...so eloquently, at that. :)

I was trying to convey my personal belief that, so long as the anger is used to implement positive action (and I include getting out in the streets, banging on pots and pans, etc., as positive action), that's a beautiful thing.

It's when the anger eats people up to the point they DON'T act and the anger becomes who they are, without any action to change whatever is causing their anger...that's when it's harmful and ineffective.

I honestly don't believe the OP nor anyone here is advocating ignoring reality and embracing Barbara Bush's approach to life. I'm certainly not.

And, I could be wrong, but it seems that to have the energy and fortitude and courage and so forth TO act, Molly Ivins' style, it means one must have hope somewhere in the midst of things. It seems to me hopeless people don't have the energy to try to change the world for the better...

I'll never diss the word "hope," nor will I turn away from the realities currently facing so many who are suffering and do my best to work towards changing things for the better. To me they're not mutually exclusively.

:hi:

[bhikkhu]

48. As does determination to make the best of difficult times

Awhile back after telling my kids a few times when they were mad about something I couldn't buy them "we live in the richest nation in the world, in the richest period of human history by far", I started to think about how much time I spent griping myself, and how much negativity I had built into my life...

Little by little you can change things, and it feels very good to be going in a direction of your own choosing. I turned off the tv 8 years ago, quit smoking 3 years ago, I grow a big garden and enjoy fresh food, quit drinking last year, started commuting by bicycle two years ago, and spend much less time on the internet than I used to :P. Living is good, health is good, and the bank account is ok in spite of troubled times.

To really change things does take time. Everyone knows the benefits once you are done, but I don't think you can even start without deciding to be happy, deciding to open your eyes and enjoy life every step of the way. How many daily habits do people have that are more digging-their-own-graves, at great expense?

[Lorien]

57. YOUR living is good, YOUR health is good, YOUR bank account is OK

and that's great, but don't make the mistake of believing in the premise of "the Secret"; that if one decides to be positive and happy all good things will come to them, and that people only get cancer or lose loved ones or whatever because they sent negative energy into the universe which attracted all sorts of nastiness too them. I tried giving that "law of attraction" stuff my all years ago and all it accomplished was the perception by others that all was well; my business and health continued to decline despite my best efforts. Yes, forcing myself to be as happy as possible did attract more people to me, but it didn't change my life. I'm unemployed, I have debilitating chronic illnesses that get bad enough that a day never goes by when I don't think about checking out early. Thinking happy thoughts won't change that or my state of poverty. Hard work, luck, connections, constant networking-perhaps those will pay off in the end. And without money my health situation is hopeless. It's great that all is well within your world, but don't condemn those who are struggling for being less than chipper.

[bhikkhu]

58. Healthy and happy, you can be a help to others

Sick and miserable, its hard to be of much use to the world, and I have the opportunity to at least be of some use to my family and my community. I'm well aware that I'm fortunate (though technically quite poor), but before one would go out and save the world, one must sometimes save oneself. Drinking and smoking and sick would be conscious decisions in my case, and were I to decide to live that way I think my thoughts and actions would inherently drag others down, rather than lift them up as I would like. Happiness is a survival tool, which you can spread around if you first have it yourself.

Happiness is a reasonable goal, like deciding to be healthy, like deciding to enjoy life. Sometimes I recall pictures I from Haiti, of kids laughing and playing amongst the destruction. You could say objectively they have nothing, and their future is likely long desperate poverty, but to sit and weep does me no more goods than it would do them...

[Number23]

65. You get it.

Sometimes I recall pictures I from Haiti, of kids laughing and playing amongst the destruction. You could say objectively they have nothing, and their future is likely long desperate poverty, but to sit and weep does me no more goods than it would do them...

Yes.

[Prism]

63. You can do all those things and still be driven by righteous anger

A moral sense of anger isn't necessarily the same thing as a passing emotional state. Being happy in one's personal life isn't exclusive of being furious at injustice.

Morally, I am a very, very angry individual right now. It's what drives me to do what I do to change the world for the better. It is anger at the injustices of our society that leads to my political activism and volunteer work. That anger moves me. It disturbs my conscience in such a way that I feel I have no choice but to do things to make things better for others.

However, on a micro level, I'm pretty content and happy. I wake up in a good mood, generally have a good day full of blessings, and go to bed at night knowing, even when enormous difficulties are present, things are pretty ok. I wouldn't trade my life for any other right now. I haven't been personally this happy in many years.

Morally, I am totally furious.

[David Zephyr]

89. What an inspirational post.

:)

[Lorien]

55. Well said. nt

[shireen]

88. +1

[DailyGrind51]

22. That's my only complaint about Thom Hartman!

Both he and Ravi Bhatra keep saying that the economy ( and the dollar) is due for another more severe downturn just before a commercial featuring Thom endorsing a gold broker. It's wrong when Beck does it and it is wrong when Hartman does it, but Beck is a sleaze, I expect much more from Thom!

[KoKo]

84. DailyGrind51...Liberal Media can't get advertisers. Glenn Beck get's Gold and Backing by

"shadow sponsors" who you never see sponsoring him.

If Thom could find better sponsers..he would. There's little or no money for anything but Church/RW Think Tank/Corporate Supported/Murdoch Supported Media. The "Gold Advertising" makes it look like both Beck and Hartmann are getting money from the same sponsor. The influence is "behind the scenes" for Beck...but Hartmann only has what he can hope to get and gets gold. So does Ed Schultz...but so does Limbaugh. But, there's little of the POWER OF OTHER MONEY..behind Schultz (Labor) and Hartmann..(hopeful Progressive cobbled together groups)

[DailyGrind51]

123. I know it is very difficult for Progressive Media to get sponsors, but

I am criticizing the "set-up", the way Thom and Ravi create a "doom and gloom scenario" prior to the commercial. Peddling panic and fear is what "they" do, not "us"!

[Delphinus]

23. Simply lovely.

Thank you - peace to you, David. :hug:

[David Zephyr]

32. Boomeranging it right back to you.

:hug:

[sendero]

26. Nice..

... Well said and I guess I as well as many here could stand to read it twice.

Yes, in my own personal life I am struggling, have been since the beginning of the year, and it is easy to get discouraged. (FWIW, have a job, not that exact sort of struggle).

The way things are right now is not going to be corrected any time soon. I'm trying to turn it off and enjoy life whenever I can, and there is always a way to do that if you let yourself.

[David Zephyr]

33. Sometimes we forget to "let yourself" as you say.

What sort of agent for change am I if I'm the grouchy leftie down the street? It's easy to be overwhelmed right now, there are a million + reasons for being so. But I hope I will be that cheery leftie down the street. And I know that it begins with and depends only on me. Thanks, sendero. :)

[Robb]

27. Good on you.

When I was waiting tables, my chef had a saying: "Only you can have a bad night." :thumbsup:

[David Zephyr]

34. I like what your chef said.

I'm off to work now, sixth day, which will be 60 this week. But I'm going in with a smile and with determination, to paraphrase you and your chef, have a good day and hopefully make others have one, too. Thanks, Robb. :)

[RagAss]

29. Reality has no mood.

[David Zephyr]

38. It's true that the universe seems, probably is indifferent, but then...

pet a doggy and watch the smile and that amazing gaze that comes back immediately. Is that just a soup of chemicals in the dog and our brains. Possibly. Or it might also be love.

I'm going with love.

[xiamiam]

30. I know that human consciousness is evolving..quickly..THAT keeps me going

it is the one thing that cannot be taken from us and cannot be stopped or denied..when I step back from my personal quagmire and even from the political disappointments, I see that collectively we are experiencing challenges unlike ever before in my life..we can learn and grow or resist..we can understand the inner connectedness of all things and all systems...

that extends to my neighbor losing their house, or me losing my house..or the friend who is dying without health insurance.or the civilians unnecessarily killed in afghanistan...those who continue the ideology of separateness will continue to suffer until they get it..material is the illusion and will keep us trapped in illusion..i think that is the challenge of our times

none of us would have chosen the lessons and difficulties facing us now...not just one of us..all of us...from these difficulties, belief systems have been shattered..there is a reason and an opportunity for growth..it is a must

there are still those who believe that they cannot be affected by the economy because their decisions were prudent ..i never see that without thinking, uh oh, its gonna be a hard fall..

[David Zephyr]

37. Inner connectedness. It's here.

And what we connect to and what we project --if and when we connect -- is up to us.

I know it sounds all Hallmarky, but life is not just what is dealt to us, but how we react to it.

Your post teaches the importance of perspective in the "inner connectedness". It's very easy to lose perspective. Whether times are great or lousy, we all get only one day at a time. I hope I do my part to make this one better for someone. I'm off to work now. Peace to you. :)

[OneGrassRoot]

122. +1000 to what both of you said.....

With gratitude....:hi: :hug:

:grouphug:

[Jennicut]

35. It is funny but having my kids really have taught me to see some good in life.

I suffered from depression for years, have been on meds for it for 10 years since I was in college. For me, I must think there is something to look forward to in life, some kind of hope or I easily slip back into depressive episodes even with the meds.

I am also a type 1 diabetic and this can easily lead to being depressed. There are just some days when I DON'T feel like injecting myself with insulin 5 times a day and checking my blood sugar just as many times.

However, the one thing that keeps me going is the simple pleasure I get from seeing my 5 and 6 year old daughters being happy. They are the future as well, all children are. If they can be taught to care about the world and the injustices in it as much as I do then that is two less ignorant people in the United States. So I keep coming to DU, I keep caring about what will happen in our world. It is a balance, of caring about what will happen and not living in a false sense of everything-is-fine but not being so depressed and overwhelmed by it that you stop caring.

[David Zephyr]

90. Children do teach us, I think as much as we teach them.

We get to see everything "new" again through their eyes. Jennicut, I think you are swell. :)

[MorningGlow]

36. What we expect is what we experience

Thank you for this, David. You're exactly right. There is a lot going on in the world, for sure, but we tend to forget that we've already gone through a lot of hellish stuff and we're still here. I'm also going through a rough personal time that causes me great emotional pain, but I try very hard not to cling to it nor to stay angry for very long, because whatever is going wrong will pass sooner or later. There's no reason to get tied in knots about what we can't control. The way I offset "the big stuff" is to be pleasant to others in my own locality. There's no reason not to, after all.

Peace to you in return. :hug:

[David Zephyr]

94. MorningGlow.

Your name, MorningGlow, makes me think of the brilliant song from Stephen Schwartz' wonderful musical Pippin. And I'm sorry you are going through a rough personal time, and as you can see in this thread, it seems to be universal right now. The last year I have simply felt overwhelmed at times and it becomes a groove, a mindest that is unhealthy. It's not who I am.

And yet, I see it when I'm out: So many less smiles, so much stress and we are poisoning ourselves. Times are bad now, but they should not define us. The problems are real, but what you wrote is precisely what I was saying last night when I wrote the OP. Thank you, MorningGlow. Wishing you peace and thanks for the words and the hug, too. :hug:

"Morning Glow" by Stephen Schwartz

Why won't my hands stop shaking
When all the earth is still
When ancient ghosts are waking
So many steps need taking
So many plans need making
I think I will
I think I will

Morning glow, morning glow
Starts to glimmer when you know
Winds of change are set to blow
And sweep this whole land through
Morning glow is long past due

Morning glow fill the earth
Come and shine for all you're worth
We'll be present at the birth
Of old faith looking new
Morning glow is long past due

Oh, morning glow, I'd like to help you grow
We should have started long ago

So, morning glow all day long
While we sing tomorrow's song
Never knew we could be so strong
But now it's very clear

Morning glow is almost here
Morning glow by your light
We can make the new day bright
And the phantoms of the night
Will fade into the past
Morning glow is here

[MorningGlow]

99. Very perceptive, David--that's where my username is from

It's my favorite musical. That song kept running through my mind during the '04 elections. I truly thought we had reached the turning point then, and the dark days would be behind us once Kerry was elected. Alas, apparently we needed to hit MORE of a rock bottom before we decided to collectively go on an upswing.

Now I truly believe we're on the way to that.

Thank you again for this wonderful thread. :hug:

[Bluenorthwest]

42. Volraire and Annie...

Last night I watched a Tina Turner concert on TV. She was awesome beyond compare. Just after, a friend sent me this quote from Howard Zinn, in which I see the same message that Tina was delivering in such different forms of communications. Howard said:

"TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."
— Howard Zinn

[David Zephyr]

95. Thank you for the terrific quote from the amazing Howard Zinn.

Bluenorthwest, you made my day with that quote. Thank you! That was the great thing about Howard Zinn: even when he was teaching (he certainly "taught" me through his writings so much for which I am forever grateful), even when he was revealing darker periods of our history, he never failed to showcase the heroic acts of women and men, who through their own inner goodness made changes we all have benefitted from. Thanks! :)

[postulater]

45. DU needs a Happy Forum

where people can post what made them happy that day.

It would do us all some good.

[1776Forever]

91. I am happy today because my son, who has Progressive MS, got out of the hospital today.

He is alive and will live to give it another courageous day tomorrow. How I love him. Seeing him fight through his pain is something I will never forget. While I only have a few problems his are quadrupled.

It is people like him that our true heroes. They really fight everyday to exist. It is up to us to give them the quality of life that make them glad they did.


Blessings!

[David Zephyr]

96. You are something else, 1776Forever!

Wow! Thank you for passing along your joy. That's exactly the "news" right now that I want to hear. Your hero is a hero. There is joy right in front of us, happiness if we just look for it. Thank you for the blessings, but your story was my blessing. :)

[1776Forever]

121. You are very kind. I appreciate the good wishes. It is a good day. Nice to "know" you. n/t

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gateley]

52. Boy did I need this! I can't tell you how perfect your message is for me. I've

passed it along to a few friends and will always keep it near so I have it when I feel the need for a reminder. Thank you! :hug:

[blm]

56. It really is a message for these times.....thank you DZ.

.

[David Zephyr]

98. We are progressives because we want a better world, because we are hopeful

And coming from you, blm, that meant a lot to me, too. :)

[David Zephyr]

97. Well, I needed it, too, gately.

I'm just glad to know I wasn't alone. And thanks right back to you. :hug:

[DesertFlower]

59. great post. you brought tears

to my eyes.

i sometimes feel like i'm living in an alternate reality.

[David Zephyr]

100. You are not alone.

Thanks, DesertFlower. I'm glad to know that I wasn't the only one. :)

[Pirate Smile]

60. Kick & Recommend.

[David Zephyr]

101. Great pic for your avatar.

That's a great photo, Pirate Smile. Your name has the word "smile" in it. Here's one for you :)

[Number23]

62. God bless you, David. Thank you for this.

I'm stepping out of the bad acid trip tent where it seems so many are gathering.

Yes, there is a lot of bad out there. But there is also a lot of goodness, too.

And all of my cursing the darkness is never as good as lighting a single candle.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. Happy to rec.

[David Zephyr]

81. And back to you you, too, Number23.

:)

[grantcart]

64. Namaste

[David Zephyr]

102. Namaste to you, too.

:)

[Evoman]

67. Heh..I was overloaded. On anti-depressants, hated my job, hated my life.

But then, at one point, after my gf's mother got leukemia and shit turned from bad to worse, I got plain overloaded. And the point came where I just stopped caring. Not in a bad, apathetic way....more like I realized that no matter what the universe feeds me, in the end it's all gonna end the same. Me sitting six feet under the ground, food for worms.

And it freed me.

And I lost all my fear.

I told off my boss, and told her I didn't give a shit about my job. She was verbally abusing me, and i figured enough was enough. I wasn't fired.

I realized I hate my career...and so I decided once I finish my term, I don't care what I do. I'm gonna travel, and work at jobs that may not pay well, but teach me something.

Fuck the world...I'm gonna do what I want to do. Fuck the past. Fuck the future. I plain don't give a shit. And that makes me extremely happy.

[David Zephyr]

103. Losing fear!

Evoman, that's at the core of this current zeitgeist: fear. I like how you said that.

[johnaries]

68. "And all of my cursing the darkness is never as good

as lighting a single candle."

That's absolutely beautiful, David. I hope you don't mind if I steal it sometime. :)

Peace to you! K&R

[David Zephyr]

104. Well, it isn't orginal, but it sure fits for me.

Spread some of your sunshine, johnaries. It's always good to see your posts. :)

[Steely_Dan]

69. I Guess We...

...have reached the "acceptance" stage.

[David Zephyr]

105. Not me.

I am in no delusion about what is going on. I can only speak for myself, but how I react to it will be from love, hope, optimism. Anger is not the only sparkplug that we can use to propel us forward to where we want to go. It is a sparkplug, but it's only one. That's all I am saying.

[Steely_Dan]

126. Yeah, I was sort of making...

a funny. You know...the stages of tragedy. Denial, Anger, Acceptance.....

I guess I missed.

[laylah]

70. THANK YOU...

what a wonderful post! I have sent it far and wide, of course with identifying the author :hug:

[David Zephyr]

106. First, I love your name, laylah!

And second, thanks for your sweet words. We progressives are the beacons of hope. When we lose our optimism, I think we lose everything. I had lost mine. But I have it back now. Do we define the times or do we let the times define us? Thanks for the hug! :hug:

[judesedit]

71. Even at our lowest, we are still spoiled in America compared to many in many other countries

Dirt floors, anyone?
"I went last time. It's your turn to get water from the well/stream."
Three meals a day. "What's that?"
Television. "I've heard of it, but never saw one."
"Wear your red one."


This is NOT however an excuse to be complacent. We should all be working to better ourselves and the country. You want to leave a legacy to your children that is commendable. Not one of bigotry, violence, greed and hypocrisy. Vote for the candidate with integrity. NOT the most money. You are an American. Somehow you WILL have the strength to weather this thing. Maybe it'll even prompt you to run for office. We need good people. Think about it.

Thanks for the inspiration.

[depakid]

73. And yet, "spoiled" Americans are on average far less "happy" than people living many such countries

Crisis Is Chance for West to Embrace ‘Happiness,’ Bhutan Says

Bhutan’s system of gross national happiness is aimed at ensuring that the country’s development doesn’t damage its culture or its environment. Instead of GDP, the country uses nine indicators including health, education, governance and psychological wellbeing. Thailand also has a gross national happiness index that is measured along similar lines.

While as much as 19 percent of Bhutan’s population lives below the poverty line, most aren’t unhappy, Thinley said. A recent survey showed only 4 percent say they are “not happy,” while the other 96 percent of Bhutanese are either “happy” or “very happy,” the prime minister said.

The tool used to measure a country’s success is important, and gross national happiness is helping to produce the kind of wealth Thinley said he wants for his country.

The components of the index “are a reflection of the kind of values my society upholds, the kind of values that we want to create, values of the real kind, wealth of the real kind, not of the illusory kind that can disappear overnight as with stocks,” he said.

More: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-07/crisis-is-chance-for-west-to-embrace-happiness-bhutan-says.html

[OneGrassRoot]

79. Thanks for this. :)

:hi:

[David Zephyr]

108. Your perspective is healthy.

The old saying about complaining about our shoes until we meet the man or woman or child without feet still applies, maybe more so. Likw so many, I've taken some real blows this last year, at times, it seemed like they were coming in waves. The problem is that we begin to expect those waves, and it's almost pavlovian to the point where it becomes a pathology. There is certainly a real zeitgeist of unhappy out there and I'm kissing it goodbye. Everything isn't bad. Even our worst days have good moments if we look for them. Thank you for your post, judesedit.

[roxiejules]

72. Divine

An elephant can be tethered by a thread

~~ if he believes he is captive.

[David Zephyr]

109. Wow! I've never heard that, roxiejules.

Thanks! :)

[roxiejules]

125. The invisible rope...

Heard Wayne Dyer say this ~ but also found from Paulo Coelho:


When still a baby, the elephant is tethered by a very thick rope to a stake firmly hammered into the ground. The elephant tries several times to get free, but it lacks the strength to do so.

After a year, the stake and the rope are still strong enough to keep a small elephant tethered, although it continues to try, unsuccessfully, to get free. At this point, the animal realizes that the rope will always be too strong and so it gives up.

When it reaches adulthood, the elephant can still remember how, for a long time, it had wasted its energies trying to escape captivity. At this stage, the trainer can tether the elephant with a slender thread tied to a broom handle, and the elephant will make no attempt to escape to freedom.


:)

David Zephyr ~ your piece was very inspiring, thank you for sharing with us.

[InvisibleTouch]

75. Yes! "Be the change you wish to see."

What you posted is an important message. I've been feeling much the same, in the face of all the negativity that we're drowning in. The daily struggle to survive, and the horror in the Gulf ... and yet, being upset and stressed will *not* make a difference. Sure, some positive changes are made out of anger and outrage - but those same positive changes can be made even more effectively from a place of serenity and clear-headed calm. Therefore it's important for each of us to disconnect from the negativity and actively seek out and acknowledge the good things in our lives, in our world. Not to ignore and deny the tragedies that need to be addressed, but to do so from a totally different mindset. When our own psyches and our own lives are in order, that spreads outward to others. "Be the change you wish to see," and all.

It's a lesson that has taken me decades to learn, and I'm still struggling with it, because my response to injustice and tragedy has always been anger and negative emotion. It's a reflex after all these years. But I'm slowly learning to disconnect from that. After all, it didn't serve me very well. Nothing to lose by trying a new approach.

Thank you for this post.

[David Zephyr]

110. And thank you.

"It's a lesson that has taken me decades to learn, and I'm still struggling with it, because my response to injustice and tragedy has always been anger and negative emotion. It's a reflex after all these years. But I'm slowly learning to disconnect from that. After all, it didn't serve me very well. Nothing to lose by trying a new approach."

InvisibleTouch, it's hard -- when one is wired to be an empathetic soul -- to avoid being consumed by all the bad. But it is our optimism, it is our sense of hope and understanding of love and sharing that wins the day, not just our rage.

[Fire1]

78. Great post, David. It's always the little things that bring the

biggest smile.

[David Zephyr]

112. Thanks, Fire 1.

:)

[Avalux]

82. Thank you so much for this post - wonderful!

I can change myself, and I am. Against my will at first but now I'm in with both feet. :hug:

[KoKo]

83. Lovely Post, David Zephyr. Gotta Keep on Keeping On...and look for

that Sun in our own sphere of being. If we don't do that then we succumb to the direness of our times and those who go over the edge cannot stay well enough to LIVE and FIGHT FOR THE NEW DAWN!

We must focus inward and find the joy in day to day in the small things we can do...the brightness of some small favors..focus inward to restore.

We are in an "interim." A "re-grouping." We only waste our energy fighting against inevitable at this point. Re-Group...Regain Energy...focus inward and REPAIR. Our lives aren't over because of what we've seen and been through. It's just going to be much harder and take a lot more energy and effort than was ever imaginable to us in our hopefulness.

It will take some re-grouping, restoration to gather strength. "Watchful Waiting" might be what is needed for some right now.

Hear Ya!

[David Zephyr]

111. Wise words for these times.

:hi:

[handmade34]

87. be the change..... great post

with times bad, I got stuck in this job living on the road, in motels. I cried myself to sleep for the first 3 years from missing a home and my kids. I've learned to cope and even delight in many of the opportunities that being a nomad brings. I am working in a small town in Texas presently staying in a small motel owned and operated by a very sweet Indian man who used to be a chemical engineer. He now spends his time giving satsang to all the truckers and others that happen into town and I have had talks with him about happiness and the fool's errand that many of us are on... we have much work to do and much caring to provide for each other, but I no longer cry at night.

This is the bumber sticker on the back of my company car... (against rules, I don't care)

[David Zephyr]

113. Great bumpersticker. Wonderful message.

handmade34, thanks! :)

[shireen]

92. good for you

i'm glad you've found some inner peace.

but i can't talk myself into a happy place like that.

[Blue_Tires]

93. bookmarked...thanks for this...

[BrklynLiberal]

107. Thank you so much for this. Must be something good happening in this universe. I received this

from a friend today..I KNOW the repukes would NEVER understand this..

I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It is the ultimate source of success in life. ~ Dalai Lama

[Sparkly]

114. The anthem of the Reagan era was "Don't Worry, Be Happy."

Yes, there's having an open heart, and open hand and an open smile to each other. We're all in it together.

But I caution against the "Aw, it's okay!" that eases our concern for the wider sphere, and focuses our vision more narrowly on our own little spheres. "It's not SO bad, is it?" "Don't, worry -- be happy!"

It's an easy pill to swallow. And it's often GOOD to count our blessings, to keep us from feeling sorry for ourselves.

On the other hand, I think we have to recognize "escapism" for what it is.

That world of hurt is still out there. Compared to the average person in the world, we are still the lucky ones. It's really easy to forget the other side of that.

[yowzayowzayowza]

115. "Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight"

K&R

[CleverTitania]

116. I must admit that...

...there's a part of me that feels a sense of relief in everyone's misery. It might sound wrong, but it's hard not to think that way. I've spent my entire life feeling like most people do right now.

Since I was a kid we've always struggled, always felt like we were standing on a precipice waiting to teeter off. For instance; this month we were supposed to have enough money to finally get the kitchen fixed up, after 4 years of slowly compiling the materials. We were going to have what we needed to finish it off and have some money left to sit in the bank for emergencies. Then mom's car starting it's whining, and the emergency money -plus some of what is needed for the kitchen - will be gone shortly. That's literally a pattern that has followed us as long as I can remember. It's the reason that mom and I sharing a house went from, "just until we both get in better shape financially" to my son being 14 years old and not remembering when we didn't all live together.

And for years, people in the middle class (what's left of them) have looked askance at us even more than the idle rich would. They see people like me as just not trying, and whining about how life never treats us fairly. I can assure you, I've never whined about something so stupid. Do I think we're cursed or unjustly knocked around by fate? No. But I also refuse to be treated like a lazy, undisciplined wastrel because I've never had a single opportunity - that wasn't thwarted by a minor or major disaster - to dig out of this hole. Sure, my being unemployed when the house burned down was semi-convenient, considering how much work dealing with it all involved. But did I really have to go 2 years without work? And my resume isn't exactly thin.

For the first time in years, more of the population feels like me than feels the other way. For the first time in my life, I see people understand and empathize instead of judging.

Yes I'd rather the world was in better shape, and we weren't all so scared. But then again, if people had been willing to pony up for universal health care 15 years ago, my family could've averted at least two of our particular disasters - hell even prescription coverage might've changed a lot. So I feel a tiny sense of self-satisfaction in seeing the middle class finally realize just how bad we've been yanked around for years. I liken it to the wonderful glee that comes when that co-worker - who treats you like crap but is sweet as candy to everyone else - gets busted raging at you like a banshee.

[FedUpWithIt All]

117. I have noticed...

that there is an ease to life when i try to fit myself into this life in a loving and accepting way. There is much stress and struggle when i try and make life fit me.

It reminds me of a river flowing.

If i were to try and swim upstream, against the natural flow, i would wear myself out. If i go with the river i cover more distance and the river does all of the work. Either way, in the end, i will follow the river. In one scenario it is with me rested and calm and able to appreciate the journey. The other way is after i have worn myself out to the point where i no longer can resist the current and in the end finally give into it.

I prefer to let the river carry me.

I have always appreciated this quote...

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience but we are spiritual beings having a human experience.

Never has this seemed more true.

Edited to add a heartfelt thanks for the OP David Zephyr. Really lovely.

[tabatha]

118. What always amazed me in South Africa

was the always seemingly happy African people, despite their terrible conditions.

[grahamhgreen]

119. Let us kick the ass of the predatory corporations with a smile on our face and lightness in our step

;-))

[xiamiam]

124. great idea..nt

[branders seine]

127. do you live in one of the states with legal medical marijuana?

just asking.

[catzies]

128. This has come to mean more to me on rereading it. Many powerful sentiments

are expressed herein.

Heed.

And be loved, for you are loved.

All y'all.

Peace.

:grouphug:

[kentuck]

129. DZ

I don't come on DU as much as I used to but I had to sign on to give you a pat on the back for being such a great humanitarian.

I think people will start to feel much better if this hemorrhaging of oil from our Mother Earth is actually stopped. It has wounded us all very deeply.

peace

Your Friend

kentuck