subject: Overcoming Despair When It Seems Like There Are Few Other Options [print this page] It's fair to say that over the course of the last few years, populations around the world have been dealt a series of devastating blows, the repercussions of which, in most cases, will continue to play out for years to come. It's even more difficult to know how to go on without feeling scared, sad and confused, while troubled economies, natural disasters, untrustworthy politicians and war continue to plague us. Our present situation makes even the most optimistic among us feel unsure about the coming years and how we will cope.
One year ago, people around the world watched as a powerful earthquake off the coast of Japan set off a tsunami that led to the death of thousands of people, left millions more homeless and further crippled an economy already in recovery. Then, as if the situation weren't dire enough, the huge wall of water had severely damaged a nuclear power plant and we watched anxiously as Japan tried to handle and contain its demise, knowing full well that the failure to do so would cause immeasurable suffering for years to come.
The thing about natural disasters is that the fear and uncertainty they inflict never really disappears--the next disaster could strike anywhere, at any time.
Then, we're repeatedly reminded of our frailty as drought and conflict lead to serious famine in countries throughout Africa. Few of us have turned on the T.V. or read the newspaper lately without seeing a picture of a severely malnourished child. The solution to these devastating famines seems so easy for us in countries where food and water are readily available, but yet we feel powerless to do anything about it.
The sense of hopelessness that has arisen from those events, seemingly outside of our control or caused by nature, is only compounded by the rising tension and, even, pending war between countries. No matter where you figure into the conflict, it's impossible to know which side is right' or wrong' and what, if anything, you can do about it.
The financial woes of many of the world's economies may not have caused casualties or physical destruction, but they have certainly reinforced the feelings of defencelessness spurned by other world events. As people lose their jobs, their savings, businesses and homes, and start to question the choices of the people whom we entrusted with securing the financial futures of the countries in which we live, people struggle to get by and to re-build as optimism fades.
Who is there to provide comfort when so much seems to be wrong in the world? How do people find the courage to persist when it seems the universe has turned against them?
