We can all agree that the world has seen better days. But in pressing situations, I believe that positivity is the key to persevering through the unsettling present into the unforeseeable future.
“Ignorance is a bliss” perfectly compacts two sides to an ever-debated topic: the truth. I wrote about the importance of seeing the truth in another blog post, but this time I want to shift the perspective. In this coined phrase, the act of ignorance – a blatant and purposeful disregard – is described as being blissful. It was quite odd to hear this statement for the first time, especially because we do not normally hear words with such a strong negative connotation referred to as a gift or joy. But this is what ignorance is said to provide merely in short, but not in the long term. And this is something that I have learned in my life and a lesson we are all learning in the present day.
When you ignore reality, you remain unaware of its harsh nature and the way that life can often throw curveballs at us all. Those who do not want to see the truth will remain ignorant. But in ignoring reality, it becomes all too easy for us to lose sight of what is real. Living in an escape of another life – one that is not yours, one that doesn’t include the daily worries of your own – is an escape like no other. For me, daydreams and such have served as peace in moments of chaos, joy in despair and hope when it seems little is left. As a child, I found it easy to use my imagination and craft a world where everything I longed for became mine. But, with time I have learned to realize that life is no dream, nor is it valid to immerse yourself in a “good” falsehood for too long. But for whatever reason, staying positive and finding comfort in such times is proving to be quite difficult for many.
It would be impossible to list the number of difficulties the world is facing; we all have our struggles, even if we don’t make others aware of our state. But if we do not approach our given situation with positivity and hope, we will set the tone for an unsuccessful attempt at tackling large issues. After all, hope is something we have to see, it is not given. And sure, it is arguably easier to ignore the bad of a situation to relieve ourselves of the burden and toll negativity can bear on our shoulders, but this situation doesn’t have to gain so much power over you. A simple shift in perception is all it takes to see the good instead of the bad. And you will often find (as I have found) that you can act out of a better place in doing so.
Seeing the bright side can be hard when we are face-to-face with the cold, harsh truth. But remaining hopeful for the future is not just a first step towards tackling hard situations, it can become an effective mindset. Positivity can bring a tone of optimism into your everyday and can help you appreciate the complexity of human emotions. You can grow to better understand yourself and your habits, which brings better self-awareness and can bring a sense of understanding and knowledge.
As I discussed how lengthly quarantine grew to be with my older sister, she made a remark on how we felt so lucky to have found good from such a bad situation. People rallied together to advocate for justice, the world became more globally aware and were reminded that the most valuable gift given to us is health. So although our only choices now are keeping distance between one another, we have learned to come together despite it. For me, quarantine helped me identify everyday actions I can take to relieve the stress of being a student and learn to prioritize overall wellbeing. And this only came when I realized that every moment in life has the potential to symbolize something greater than itself, only if you give the moment and yourself that opportunity to believe. Positivity has helped me not only in this way, but has reminded me of the value perception can have.
Stay positive everyone.
For those in need of support during these difficult times, please visit this website. You are not alone, the help is available if/whenever you need it.
What a lovely message! Very uplifting to see our youth staying positive.