Be The Light We Need in These Dark Times

What to do (and how to feel) when it seems like everything is doomed

I’m not sure if I should’ve posted this.

Because at face value, it may seem controversial.

But what’s important is that this mindset helped me enjoy my life more, passively improving the lives of those around me. 

And anything that does that, I feel is my due diligence to share with you in hopes of making the world a better place. 

It works for me, and if it can work for you too then it was worth the risk. 

Hopefully, you find it useful. 

Photo by Jari Hytönen on Unsplash

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Impending doom

It feels like a deep, dark cloud is rolling toward us from the horizon. 

Things feel like they’re getting worse — like we’re approaching end-times. 

• Climate change, AI, war and economic crisis feel like raging bushfires engulfing the planet. 

• Greed and profit are destroying art, detail and expression. 

• People are being sucked into jobs they never wanted and working until they die. 

It just feels like we’re snowballing down a hill right now. 

And all of this negativity has caused a few confusing thoughts to spin around my mind — and in the minds of those close to me: 

• Should I feel guilty for switching my lights on, for driving my car and burning toxic fuel? 

• Should I feel guilty for eating meat and contributing to large-scale farming? 

• Should I feel guilty for being happy when there are people in war zones? 

I started to wonder… 

Why do I feel guilty for being human right now? 

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The Parable of the Light

A wise teacher once told his students a story about a lamp. 

“There was a room filled with darkness, and no one could see anything. People stumbled and fell, unable to find their way. 

Then, one person lit a small lamp. 

The light spread throughout the room, and soon others lit their lamps from that one flame. 

The room was filled with light, and everyone could see clearly.”

The teacher concluded, 

“The world may be filled with darkness, but you can be the light. Your positive actions and attitude can spread, illuminating the path for others.”

Yes, things do appear dire, and the state of the world is bleak at times—war-stricken places continue to experience living nightmares. 

But what is the use of us feeling sad and guilty all the time? 

What does that do? 

It brings the collective energy of humanity down. 

Everything is fucked, so I may as well give up and be sad…

I refuse to buy into that! 

I refuse to be depressed because things are dark. 

I refuse to feel panic and guilt.

The world doesn’t need more darkness. 

Concern is important. It’s crucial to raising the alarm — getting people to help each other and help the world. 

I’m not suggesting we sit back and watch, or sit back and wait to die — I believe in action. 

But I refuse to allow the potential future darkness to bleed into the present moment. 

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I will not bring the mood of the room down. 

I will do my part to save the world by remaining positive. 

The only thing that can illuminate a dark room is light. 

So why not be that one flame? 

What to do when everything seems so grim? 

Instead of focusing on the problem, focus on your impact. 

Aim to positively influence your tribe and community. Invest in the ripple effect. 

Focus on what you can do to improve your life and raise the collective humming frequency: 

1. Enjoy life. 

• Take small trips, go out and see nature. 

• Spend time with your loved ones. 

• Do whatever minimises stress, and maximises joy and fulfilment.

Forget climate change and AI's “impending doom”. 

You may not have another 10 years to worry. You might die tomorrow. What’s important is that you give yourself a great life, so that you can positively influence the lives of others. 

This is your avenue to change the world. Not stressing so much about the future that you bring everyone down. 

Put some urgency on enjoyment. 

2. Spread positivity
If there’s one way we’re going to get through the uncertainty of the future, it’s with positivity. 

We need to be the light that uplifts one another — like The Parable of Light tells us. 

• Speak about positive topics 

• Minimise complaining 

• Do good for others

• Uplift people 

• Be generous

3. Do not worry until you must. 
Don’t check the mailbox daily for a death threat. 

Wait until it comes to panic. 

Otherwise, you’ll spend your whole life worrying about something that may never arrive. 

Having urgency to make change is good, but panic is not useful. 

4. Do not cut oxygen to evil forces, supply oxygen to good ones
A reductionist mindset means someone loses. 

Instead of trying to cut off oxygen to evil, provide oxygen to smaller parties who do good. 

Instead of cutting out meat entirely, source pasture-raised products to support sustainable farming. 

Instead of “fuck you, you’re not having my money” — it’s “here, take my money because I believe in your cause.” 

Minimise negative actions and maximise positive ones? 

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Feeling happy and enjoying yourself is not something you should feel guilty for. 

It’s something you should be proud of. 

People who are struggling need someone positive to uplift them. 

Evil will always exist, so it’s our due diligence to balance it out — not to wish it weren’t so and let it engulf us.

So live with a smile, and do your best to see the world through a positive lens. 

Sincerely, 

eren

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Have you been faced with similar feelings? 

I’d love to hear about how they make you feel, how you deal with them and if you found this perspective useful. 

Let me know in the comments — I will respond to everyone.