The Underlying Principle of What I've Been Posting

So, I've realized in hindsight I probably should have started with this post, before posting my first and second posts on dealing with the current state of things. Overall, what I've been trying to do is give people ideas to deal with all the bad stuff that is currently going on. However, there is an underlying principle to the two previous posts (and some posts that are yet to be written). This is the idea of trying to generate positive change on different levels.

So, what do I mean by generating positive change? It's really just trying to improve stuff on three main levels. The first level is self-improvement, which is making changes that help one cope with all the negativity that is going on. The second level is helping those around you, by which I mean the people who you interact with on a regular basis and are important to you. This could be friends, family, or co-workers. The third level is improving things for everyone, including future generations.

The important take-away is that you focus on yourself first. It is much easier to make positive change for others if you have your own life under control. To quote Gandhi, "We need to be the change we wish to see in the world.", and "My life is my message".

There are three other things to take into account. The first is that small positive changes may not seem to be worthwhile on their own, but the cumulative effect can be great. Several small changes are far more realistic than a single drastic change. The second thing is the contagious nature of actions. If your life becomes more positive, others will be positively affected. In this sense, the value of your positive actions stretches well beyond your own life. The third thing is that a large group of people making a bunch of small positive changes may make the large societal problem that currently seem insurmountable into something that can be addressed.

Tomorrow, I will talk about social isolation and our divided society, and what can be done about it (wow, I'm feeling inspired now!).