Many people spend considerable amounts of time following the news of the day, and subsequently become angry over the state of world affairs.  Most people who see problems around them are infused with a natural desire to resolve them.  Ironically, this desire to solve problems is a constant thread across both left-leaning and right-leaning people.

To many of the left-leaning persuasion, daily news brings a perpetual onslaught of human suffering that is being allowed to go unchecked and unchanged by society.  Their desire is for somebody to do something to ease this suffering.  Generally speaking, people of this persuasion would prefer to see government step into action.  The persistence of suffering is seen as justification for higher taxes and more concentration of power in the hands of government.

To many of the right-leaning persuasion, daily news brings a perpetual onslaught of government failure, corruption, and excessive power that has been allowed to continue across multiple generations.  They see the erosion of freedom from government regulations, and confiscation of resources through taxation for the purpose of empowering politicians in the name of addressing social ills that never seem to be solved.  Generally speaking, people of this persuasion would prefer to see a less active government, and an increase in free market forces.  The continued failure of government programs to achieve their goals is seen as justification for reducing the size and scope of government activity.

The unfortunate fact that people of both persuasions must ultimately come to grips with is that we do not always live in the world of how things should be . . . we live in the world of what “is”.  Put another way, there are many forces beyond our ability to individually control that shape and influence the world around us.  It is most certainly true that sometimes events will unfold in a way that is more favorable to people on the left, or the right, but it is always true that neither persuasion is every going to be fully satisfied with the tenor of local, national, or wold events.

In many cases, people allow themselves to become bitter and angry because of what feels like a persistent failure of world events to transpire in a manner that they feel is just.  In some cases this phenomenon manifests itself as an “Angry Liberal” or an “Angry Conservative”, but in almost all cases it involves people who are continually upset about a set of circumstances that they cannot control.  In this way, each successive piece of news or information that we consume becomes another piece of evidence showing how little influence we have over the world around us.

In response to this, we recommend shifting focus toward the things in life that we can control.  Put another way, we recommend to live in the world of “is” instead of the world of how things should be.  Instead of focusing on all the problems in the world, focus on what you can do to create something beneficial.  Instead of studying the news as a means of demonstrating that your anger at the world’s political leaders is justified, seek to find information that will help you take action in a way that benefits your family or those in need.

If you are concerned about human suffering, stop complaining about how the government isn’t doing enough and go do something yourself.  Volunteer for an agency who helps people in need, or donate to a charitable foundation.  if you are concerned about the pervasiveness of government, stop complaining and do something to secure the financial future of your family.  Start a small business that generates supplemental income and generates legitimate tax write-offs.  Study investments to determine which ones will provide optimal returns with reasonable risk in a tax favorable manner.

In short, living in the world of “is” really comes down to taking action.  It is not difficult find problems, or to complain about them.  It is considerably harder to actually do something about some of these problems.  However, it is considerably more rewarding as well.  This is not to say that nobody should advocate for changes to government institutions . . . on the contrary, civic participation is a key tenant of continued national prosperity.  What it means is that your future should be built on your own actions, not the actions of people in political office.

In the end, each of us is ultimately responsible for creating our own life.  To many people, this statement seems self-evident, but it is important to ensure that actions match our understanding.  There is nothing wrong with remaining hopeful for progress in the political realm, but there is power in the understanding that we direct our own destiny.  Each new day is a new opportunity to take action.  Make sure that something new is achieved with each passing day, and the future will brighten in a very fast, very profound manner.