It can be difficult at times to look around at the state of the world and not get bogged down by the turmoil. Political strife, climate disasters, the rising cost of living, rapidly changing technology and constant conflict/war in so many corners of the globe can serve to keep you in a state of general discomfort throughout the day. When turbulent times like these get stacked on top of the grind of just living one’s normal life, it can feel like a lot.
In the midst of this chaos, what can you do? How does one keep on keeping on trying to live a life that still serves the greater good? Here are a few suggestions:
Simplify
When things inevitably pile on and a nagging sense of overwhelming feels like it’s lurking just around the corner, it can be very helpful to get back to the basics. Take an honest inventory of your world and choose a couple of things that you could drop even for a short period of time. Shedding some of the unnecessary baggage we carry around each day can open space for more possibilities.
Unplug
Following up on the theme of simplification, unplugging from the news, our phones, and other forms of negative media can do wonders for your mental health. It can be a struggle to completely detach from keeping up with daily events, but it’s helpful to remember that most of what you read and consume is designed to keep you hooked and focused on the bad news.
Remember the Good Stuff
For every bad thing that gets too much attention, there are thousands of acts of goodness happening across the globe at the same time. Remember that by and large, most folks are trying the best they can and really want to make the world a better place.
Reclaim Your Attention
As you slowly unravel yourself from the constant stream of bad news, your attention tends to become more spacious and focused. You see things with more clarity and begin to move through your life with a bit more intentionality. When you reclaim your attention, you then have the choice as to where to shine the spotlight.
Reach Out
As the news gets worse, it’s natural to feel like you’re isolated from the wider world. This can be countered by reflecting on the fact that we are all far more connected than we think. Reaching out to family, friends and even the wider turf world can shift your perspective.
Remember that you are part of a community and that you matter to someone. This can also be helpful when it comes time to step up and speak out against injustice and power. A connected community is an influential one. When people work together, they can create positive change.
You can also work to create conditions for well-being within your community. Whether that means within your team at the golf course or within your neighborhood, taking care of those in our orbit can make a world of difference.
Focus
When you become overburdened by the weight of the world, you can tend to feel incapacitated and stuck. The anxiety that arises from desperately trying to control everything in your life, leaves us depleted and tired. Focus on what you can control.
“The task we must set for ourselves is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity.”
— Erich Fromm
When we choose instead to scale things back and focus on what we can control in our lives, it creates a sense of calm and helps us to navigate life with a bit more ease. At its essence, you only control how you respond to both your internal and external world. Nothing more, nothing less.
Embrace Uncertainty
When world events tend to flare up it can leave you with an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. But the trick is, it’s always that way. Things are always changing and in a state of flux. It’s just that sometimes change feels a bit louder. Practice leaning into the feelings of uncertainty and remember that everything is also temporary. What feels solid and unchanging today has the potential to be completely different tomorrow.
Ground Yourself in the Moment
In the midst of upheaval, it can be helpful to find concrete ways to use your senses to bring yourself back into the present moment. As superintendents we are blessed to work with and in nature. This gift affords us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the natural world and connect with it all on a deeper level. Taking half an hour at lunchtime and simply going for a walk can be a powerful reset for your day.
Be Kind
At the end of the day, choosing kindness can be the antidote to a great many problems. Whether it’s within your family, friends or wider community, you never know when a kind word can change someone’s day. It also makes a huge difference when we give ourselves a bit of grace and be kind to our inner world. We don’t always have to fix it all, sometimes just being kind is more than enough.
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the state of things, take it easy. Rest your body and mind. Simplify your daily routine and focus on the things that are good for you. Do your job well, care for your teams and those in your orbit. Throughout history many people have dealt with many difficulties, and yet here we are. It will all fade with time, and, in the meantime, you can choose to make your world a little more peaceful…and by doing so make the world a better place.
Take care, and thanks for reading.
Thank you. Agree with your post. Most people can help themselves by living by this advice. Some people however are suffering in ways that are hard to imagine and need the kindness you expressed. Some life experiences cause real damage. Grief is real. Time and staying focused on things getting better, along with help from others is the key to moving forward to a better place. A smile at the grocery store can make more difference that most can imagine. Mark Koepsell
Mark,
Thanks for your response. You are absolutely correct in saying that there are many who are going through great pain and suffering at present. Trauma, grief and loss are affecting so many on such a huge scale right now. We can choose to be kind, choose to be loving and compassionate, and yes, even choose to speak out and stand up against those who are causing and contributing to this suffering.