Social media algorithms and mainstream media conglomerates have perfected the exploitation our emotions, hijacked our brain chemicals, and have separated society so effectively for so long that many of us can no longer agree to disagree. Many in our society view those who don’t agree with them as the enemy. The opposing group, right on the other side of that line, in their minds, are responsible for most (if not all) of the world’s ills.
As a result, trolls are perusing social media platforms, chips stacked upon their shoulders, itching to be triggered and engage in the fight to prove they’re right, to show they’re smarter, and (in their minds) to “save the world”.
In addition to all this there is this ever present feeling of frustration and helplessness constantly running in the background of our lives. A big reason why is that our political leaders' main interests are to enrich themselves and their constituents and expand their realm of power instead of working for the good of the people who elected them in the first place. This is all old news to anyone who is paying even a small sliver of attention.
Despite metrics saying this is, statistically, the safest era in humanity’s history our world is an extremely stressful place right now. The stress of our modern age largely stems from media manipulation and technology growing multitudes faster than our brains can adapt to it. The air is always thick, moods are usually heavy, most people are perpetually serious. Humor is hard to come by. Ostentatiousness is the real epidemic.
The Presidential primaries are under full swing in America. We have ten more months of watching these old men flash their pearly whites while lying through them, making promises they never intend to keep. Right now the political climate seems the same way in almost every country in the world. It actually sickens me to watch and listen to any of it on television. I no longer believe it on any level, although life was sometimes easier when I did. The fact that corruption is so prevalent is one way I know a major shift is coming.
You see, change is incredibly hard. Usually, that transitional period that exists between being “satisfied and comfortable but generally bored” to “challenged but evolving” is the hardest part. I refer to this as “the suck” and the suck, well just plain sucks. A new you is being born, and like any birth it isn’t much fun, it’s often painful and torturous.
The thing is, I look back across my five decades of life and realize things have always seemed to be at their absolute worst, most hopeless, and intolerable just before a massive breakthrough for the better. A substantial shift is usually right around that next corner. Yes, things might seem like they suck but I can guarantee you that the suck doesn’t last forever.
Now more than ever is a time to guard your own physical, psychological and spiritual well being. Don't let anything eclipse your light or extinguish your flame. This is a time to ground yourself. Be conscious of everything you consume. Do whatever you need to do to protect your peace – whether it be an unscheduled day off of work, a massage, a solitary drive listening to your favorite playlist. In a life when everything is screaming for your attention like some bratty toddler with a Koolaid-stained face, remember to make time for yourself. Most importantly, remember to keep your head up and remain hopeful because the suck doesn't last forever.
Always remember...
Why am I blabbering on and on about this? Well, it’s a free write after all, a stream of consciousness for three minutes with only minascule pauses. It’s mainly meant as a journaling exercise for mes yeux seulement. This was a reminder to me that nothing lasts forever and things will improve. After reading it through I felt a little lighter so I figured it might bring comfort to others who are feeling the same sort of emotions in this moment. All for now.
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Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.
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Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel.
These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, Mindful Moments, will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com.
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The very essence of a free write!
It's so important to steer clear of the energy vampires that these trolls are. Nothing is to be gained from engaging in their mess
I really enjoy doing this from time to time, it keeps the synapses firing but I rarely share it. You are correct, there is no winning when you tangle with the trolls. Enjoy your weekend and those weekend beers!
Thank you for this freewrite Eric!
There always is hope, yet it's so easy to allow hopelessness to swallow it.
I as well as many South Africans bow our heads in shame at how our present government have been 'bought' by Iran, and what followed thereafter.
Governments all over the world sell their souls for money and power, while the poorest of the poor suffer, but nothing goes unnoticed. The people are waking up!
Let us hope that a shift in the right direction happens.
Joy indeed throws way better parties!
Thank you for reading! You're right I think the world might be a near peak corruption and it does feel like people are finally waking up to it. Our country is a complete mess right now. I decided to try not to worry about the things I can't control and just try to extract the most joy I can from every day. Have a wonderful weekend!
That is the best way to live a happy and fulfilled life, and not be swallowed up by feelings of hopelessness because of things beyond our control.
The sun's out and we're in for a hot summer's day, the birds have been chirping outside my window since around 4:30 and I think it's time I got out and soak up a little sun.
Enjoy your Sunday Eric!
This election is definitely going to be interesting. I can't even imagine what new chasms it is going to open up among the citizens. I just have this feeling it's going to be bad.
Interesting is correct! What's going on now on the border could very well be the beginnings of a civil war. Crazy times indeed.
Lately social networks and media seem to focus on negative and controversial news, it's the content that attracts the most, ppl get hooked into a war defending their opinions without caring about reaching a middle ground, that's why, I try to limit the time I spend on social networks and be more critical with the content I consume.
Being cognizant of how the media you consume effects you is vital to guarding your own mental health. You have the right idea, for sure!
I can add the pandemic and the subsequent inflation period to this situation. If looking at people's face, it seems most of them are ready to commit a crime.
It's the same way here, for the most part. People are definitely stressed.
Hello, @ericvancewalton
Yesterday I did what you recommend here: I took a break from my routine to go to the beach with my family. Contemplating the sea under the effects of the almost full moon, and getting into the water to be whipped by the waves, made me forget all the negative charge that circulates in the media.
In the end, everything can go down the drain, but if you hold on to what matters, nothing can really hurt you.
Greetings.
That's wonderful. Being happy in the moment and finding enjoyment in your life is what it's all about and is also what's lacking in a lot of peoples' lives right now.
Who did these metrics! I don't believe a number of them 😮 They're lying. The end.
They're trying to woo people into a false sense of security so that they can carry on feeding off us. After lockdown, and the impact of this on business, relationships and mental health, they have the audacity to say this? It's pretty bold! Wow
Yeah, E. The "suck" never lasts forever. Hang in there. Balance. And also keep on doing "the next right thing" to progress ;)
No rest for the changeling. Or rest... but change requires action so not too much rest... oh boy... about that life coach :D
Stay you and happy weekend! 💫
These metrics are mainly global crime and economic statistics and I don't fully believe it either. They're saying the average person is way better off now than they were one hundred years ago. Even if the stats are correct so much more than crime and the economics are involved in measuring/creating a society's true quality of life. The economic metrics are especially deceptive when you factor in things like consumer credit, cost of living, and money printing.
Thank you, Nicky. I was having an especially challenging day when I wrote this but those never last for long. Journaling is so amazingly cathartic. Take care and I wish you a wonderful weekend!
It's interesting that right now always seems terrible. Go back to the teens. People thought it was the end of the world when the Great War came along. Intellectuals like Eliot wrote as if civilization itself was ending. In the 60s, everyone was convinced this was the worst of all possible timelines, with the war and domestic terrorism. I look back on the 80s with fondness since that was my childhood, but older folks talk about how scary the times were.
I think it will be the same for now. In twenty years we will look back and laugh, reminiscing about how carefree the 2020s were as oppose to how terrible things are right now in the future. Everything looks more rosy in hindsight.
That's not to dismiss the bad things happening right now. The two old men fighting, one of whom has been setting some precedents that could be very dangerous to the republic down the line. Congress is perhaps even more corrupt than in even the gilded age when everyone knew who the real bosses were:
Money is king more than ever before, most easily seen in healthcare, where hospitals are making billions a year, yet raising prices so much that even the middle class can't even afford treatment anymore. Even in the 40s when FDR tried and failed to introduce socialized healthcare to America, the industry at large still viewed it as a human right and didn't price the poor out as they do now.
I agree with you, I do see a large change coming. Young people are more active and more involved already than anyone in my generation ever was. The fact that there is talk in many right-wing circles of trying to raise the voting age tells you all you need to know about that. There will be change and it will happen soon.
Oh yes, I agree that the past always seems like it was better. Previous generations dealt with change and innovation but just not as much of it or as quickly as what we're exposed to today. Speaking of Congressional corruption...there's an account on X (Twitter) called Quiver Quantitative, it tracks the personal investments of members of Congress. Many of these people sit on committees that are privy to lots of information that the general public doesn't and they're using this to make winning stock trades and get insanely wealthy. Insider trading in every sense of the word.
I really try to stay off Twitter these days. It's just constant fighting on there. Mastodon is a much more mild environment. That said, I followed that account—thanks for suggesting it. I am in total agreement with AOC on this issue—Congressmen should not be allowed to hold any stock. You want to be elected to Congress? You sell your holdings first and if you are caught trading with any secret accounts or through spouses, you are booted out of Congress. Unfortunately as things stand, that will never pass, but I hope she keeps bringing it up.
You're welcome. I couldn't agree more, there's a huge conflict of interest involved with letting lawmakers invest in companies they're regulating or doing business with. That's just one of many things that need to change about our government but it's a big one.
Who on earth is saying that?! They will be among the first to leave this form.
Since the last time we were assaulted by this performance, things have gone very well for the globalists. It's no surprise they would make us go through it again. One way to stop them is to stop fueling them with our attention to their productions, and with our fear of their predictions.
Word.
It's just a rough patch. One that has lasted for millenia now. We're almost there! But not before another big bang I fear. I'm as ready as I will ever be. We all are. Victory will come when we all remember how to say no.
Cool freewrite!
Who on earth is saying that?! They will be among the first to leave this form.
The internet is full of studies and statistics saying this but I don't fully believe it. The studies I've seen mainly measure crime stats and average income. There's so much they don't factor into some of the economics studies and we all know there's much more to the quality of life that crime and money.
This has been a long rough patch, that's for sure. We have what's close to a civil war starting at the southern border and too many other issues to even mention.
Victory will come when we all remember how to say no.
This sums it all up right here!
Thank you and I wish you a wonderful weekend!
Cognitive dissonance seems to be at an all time high. I zoom myself out, observe the craziness unfolding and pull out the compassion basket. Love, that high frequency / vibration that scares the *** out of many is the bridge we need. 2024 is a very interesting year as the energy field is going ballistic. The world is a mirror, a perfect reflection of our inner tribulation: "as within, so without". I expect things to shift big time over the course of this year. Thanks for sharing a tiny piece of your stream of consciousness with us 😊
It's interesting to zoom out to view the big picture then dig down to the true reasons our leaders make certain decisions, it's rarely for the reasons you get in the cover story on the news.
The world is a mirror, a perfect reflection of our inner tribulation
I truly believe this. I think even our living spaces are physical representations of our personal inner mental states.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, Kris!
It won't last forever has been a tenet in my life for as long as I remember. I like your version better - the suck won't last forever
The daily dose of propaganda interlaced with fear porn, also known as 'news', is a thing to be avoided if I want to maintain a healthy mind. Mass hypnosis via the t.v. is a scourge upon the populace. You have to be your own citizen journalist if you really want to know what's going on. Also dislike all the grandstanding known as politics. Nice freewrite!
Thanks, Tamara! That's the truth, you do have to be your own citizen journalist. It could be a part time job too to sort through all of the propaganda and disinformation.
Talking about politics is sickening. In my country, there will be an election in one month to elect the president and members of the people's representative council. I don't like the campaign atmosphere which only makes promises without realizing them. when they are in power they only enrich themselves and commit corruption. And this situation continues to repeat itself to the next generation. What a dirty world of politics. Have a nice day, Eric.
Politics definitely isn't a pleasant topic. I'm sorry to hear things are the same in your country. I'm so tired of trying to chose between the lessor of two evils in our elections! Enjoy your weekend, Eliana!
Wow man. I am following you from now. I happened upon a comment you made over on Meesterboom's page and am delighted I decided to have a read of your blog. Talk about having your finger on the pulse. You've a way with words too. This advise is so succinct and accurate. Thanks for sharing..
It's a strange time for humanity Eric,no doubt about it and many have lost their way. I still see enough light and goodness in people and the free things in life will free people from their sombre seriousness - family, nature, laughter, decency, morality, kindness -
I'm glad you found my blog! I followed yours as well! I feel like we're in a huge moment of transition right now.
Have you watched this documentary?
Much of the transition I think will be triggered by some of the information presented in this documentary. I have a lot of hope after watching this and I'll be devoting an entire blog post about it. Have a wonderful weekend!
Nice one man, thanks for the follow too. I watched some of the documentary. I'm not convinced by this concept of zero input power to be honest. It goes completely against the fundamental laws of Physics. If it could be proven, then great, but I see no proof in any of what I watched..
I do agree with some of what I watched though and feel that we are on a terrible path for humanity and need to change course. Climate change is at if not beyond the tipping point and change most start with individual decisions and doing the right thing and people pushing their elected representatives to do the right thing.
Nice healthy debate is great and I know I'll get it from you. Interested to hear your thoughts.
You're welcome! There's some evidence that the accepted mainstream idea of what physics is is wrong, or at least incomplete. Eric Weinstein explains a bit about it here:
He goes into a lot more depth about it if you watch/listen to the entire 3+ hour podcast (JRE #1945).
I think this is how they're keeping certain things hidden and have done so for so many decades. The mainstream understanding of what physics is doesn't leave room for anything but what they want us to know.
As humans we need to understand that we aren't perfect in what we do because we also make mistakes but then we need to be better by putting in more best to achieve better results.
The time is incredibly hard, everything seems to be out to get us drained, more than ever before it is very important to guide ourselves, mentally, and emotionally, and the things we let into our minds jealously.
We must keep our flames burning.
Fatigue is real in our day and age, especially the mental variety. Have a great weekend!
Social media have both it positive and negative side to humanity where it have made an impact to peoples lives and also made bad effect to as well.
Sometimes it can really be easier to demand change for you to enforce that change and most times it is not even easy to take that step that will lead to change
our free write is a raw capture of the prevalent emotions in our times. The representations of the society’s landscape, manipulation by media forces and weightiness of political disappointment profoundly touches. The interpretation of “the suck” and the transition between comforts and evolution in your analogy offers a somewhat innovative viewpoint, reminding us that some insights can also come to life during hardships. An important message while amidst chaos is to protect one’s wellbeing and draw comfort in self-care. Your actions are a stream of consciousness that provides insight into the common struggles and dreams of many, also acting as both consolation and inspiration. We appreciate this reflective piece of writing that you have presented to us!
Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment!
I strongly believe the change that we all craved for must start from us and begin to take it. It might not easy at first but we just need to be determined to enforce the change
At this time elections are going on all over the world and here in our country there is an election on February 8th and this time the election will be very interesting and here we will see who wins and how he will change our country. handles, when a new person comes, it will be a big challenge for him and he will have to look at many things, so we can only pray that whoever becomes the prime minister will be good for our country. And serve our people because things are getting worse.
I pray that things get better for you. America is in a similar position right now, we have so much division, hate, and chaos. I wish for better days ahead for us all!
Thanks for your prayer brother.
This is what the media of the whole world is doing right now, they don't show good news and show bad news for ratings
#hive #posh
Sharing on Twitter.
we are also waiting for our election on 8 feb.