Finding stability in a world gone wrong (2024)

I think John Lennon might have been on to something with his song ‘Imagine’.

The lyrics encourage listeners to imagine a world of peace, without materialism, without borders separating nations and without religion.

Written in the late 60’s and released in 1971. We’re nearly 50 years on and we still haven’t made the world a better place.

I’m unsettled by what I see happening in the world and more recently on my own doorstep in the UK where I currently live. I mean how do we actually get back to living a good life, being better citizens when there’s all that hatred, racism, radicalisation being fuelled by power.

I actually had a fascinating conversation with a taxi driver at the weekend about where there is left in the world to migrate to that would be a better, kinder place to live. We struggled but decided northern Europe and the more liberal Scandinavian countries would be the best choice at the moment. I’m sure will someone will probably tell me that it’s no better there either for different reasons. It can’t be worse than here in the UK though.

It’s hard to feel good about anything, when there’s so much pointless destruction, hate and division. I know there is also good out there, it’s just harder to see it, harder to feel it.

I’ve thought for a long time. that I’m not sure it would be honest of me to say I’m proud of being British. I’m not. I’m actually quite ashamed. I can do nothing to eradicate the past - the imperialism - the overpowering - the ownership - the rape and pillage of other people’s countries. They were never ours to own in the first place. But there it is, the unhealthy side of power, in all its ugliness. That you’re only somebody worthy if you own land, wealth, accumulation, stuff. And the one with the greater land, wealth, armies, armoury is the one with more power. And with power comes respect. Although it’s not the kind of respect I’d like to receive. I’d much prefer people respected me because I behaved like a good kind honourable fair and just human being. That I did the right thing by all.

But what of this life we live in right now? Why does it make us feel so powerless? And how do we, like Ghandi said,

‘be the change we want to see in the world’.

Ive often wondered if the earth could live in a world that was 100% one thing or another. Or does it need the yin and yang of polar viewpoints in order to find balance. And that it’s the very balance of opinion that keeps the earth centred. Perhaps it’s the balance that’s gone wrong. That somehow there is more divisiveness than there is common sense. Perhaps it’s because we are actually on the cusp of positive change, it’s the old guard fighting hard to keep things as they are because it works for them. Who f*cking knows… probably there’s an economist out there that can answer my existential questions.

I’m writing here to make sense of the world as I experience it and hoping to join with some like minded (or challenge minded) respectful folk to figure some of this sh*t out together. (If you’re reading this and you’re racist, you can do one).

When the bigger world stage has me in a spin, I try to remember to come back to myself. To remember that when push comes to shove, I only have responsibility for myself (and any children under the age of 18 and pets). Everything else is something I’m trying to persuade, influence or perhaps even manipulate.

Here are my go to practical things to do when the bigger world has you in a spin…

1. Gain perspective - Remember there’s always way more good out there than there is bad. The media often shows a sub section of a perspective. Just look at all the anti racist individuals that risked getting harmed to protect asylum centres, mosques and local communities over the weekend. The racists were out numbered and will continue to be outnumbered.

2. Change doesn’t need to be big and humanitarianism can start small - you can donate money to good causes, sign petitions to change government policy, peaceful protest, look in on your neighbour, send a text to someone to tell them you care, hug someone (with their consent of course), do a good deed.

3. Practice good self care - times when I’m spinning are times to cut down on the things that make it worse, unhealthy foods, alcohol, not exercising, being indoors all day, using an unkind voice to talk to myself about myself. Upping the self care - drink plenty of water, get outside, move your body, eat nourishing foods, get good sleep, pet your dog, have a hug, talking lovingly and kindly to yourself.

4. Educate yourself - edit your instagram and social media accounts to learn more, dig deeper and follow credible content providers. It’s easy to get misled so discern what you read and how you make of sense it carefully. I’d recommend Everyday Racism and UKFactCheckPolitics on instagram as a good starting point. Also read the book Racism, everything you already know and need to do better by Regina Jackson and Saira Rao.

5. It always come back to you - remembering that you only have you to take responsibility for. For me, that means a continuous enquiry into the question, ‘what does a good life look like NOW?’. It’s the NOW that’s important. A good life ten years ago is different to what a good life looks like with a collapsing climate and increase violence….

Maybe you have some other things that you do on a regular basis that helps? If you have, drop them in the comments.

Stay safe, JP x