PP #26: How to Be Happy in Troubled Times
Project: Pioneer #26, March 31, 2024 Sunday 11am
“Lawd, it’s me, Billy. This party isn’t fun any more and everyone is being mean. Can I come home now?”
We’ve got all the things going on—possible civil war/dictatorship, planet burning up, fish twirling and killing themselves, countries all over Europe hurriedly building bomb shelters. It can be tough to be a happy-go-lucky head-in-the-sand Pollyanna. All that, along with the usual stuff we have going on in our personal lives. The United States is no longer in the list of 20 happiest countries in the world. How do ya keep your chin up, and not phone home for a beam-me-up? Read on, because I’m fighting that battle on a daily basis. Maybe I can be of some help.
Project: Pioneer is the live weekly reality journal of a couple and their small dog as they leave their ‘normal’ life in a luxury apartment for a new semi-off grid life in a small recreational vehicle, just at the start of winter. We cover prepping, politics, spirituality, afterlife, RV life, and personal finance. Most posts are free, more personal posts are to reward our loyal paid subscribers. Audio podcast at Substack, Apple, and Spotify)
In this journal post:
Our Current Status and Updates
How to Be Happy in Troubled Times
What’s Next?
Current Status/Updates
Happy Easter, for those who celebrate!
Giavana and I are finally on the mend. It’s been a brutal couple of weeks, a brutal winter, really. I noted the bizarre stuff that’s happened to us in this short period of time in my last pioneer journal post. Giavana reminded me that I missed two incidents—she was food poisoned at an upscale steak/sea food restaurant and then at an upscale grocery chain. I amended the post.
Winter is always hard for me. Maybe it goes back to my military time at a SAC nuke/fighter bomber site up on the Canadian border during the cold war. March is the worst—it’s never ending! Welp, it ends today, huzzah. The sun is finally out, it’s going to be about 60F today, and I’m going to spend my Easter outside preparing White House for our big move into the woods in two weeks. That means taking down and numbering the foamboard skirting panels (I hope to God we aren’t using them next winter, that we’re somewhere warmer!).
Giavana just left to visit her kin. I spent yesterday with mine. I’ll likely take little Pia for a nice healthy walk down to our new site and do some measuring and prep work there as well. Giavana will return home this afternoon. We may head to our storage unit and thankfully put the winter gear away and bring out the summer stuff.
How to Be Happy in Troubled Times
So, here’s a dude been swimming in the depths of depression lately preachin’ to y’all about how to be happy! Hah! How sad :-) Like taking financial advice from your broke brother-in-law?
Seriously, though. Who else knows how to try to be happy in troubled times than someone like that? Don’t take happiness advice from some entitled no-worries no-problems trust fund nepo-babies. I write about my recent horrible, time-to-phone-home-to-God problems in my paid posts. That last incident has caused me to have those conversations every day with myself, with God. Time to pack it in? Mission accomplished down here on this rock? What’s there to live for at this point, really? It can be scary, it can be liberating to think about being free from this world, while floating down in the deep, dark, still waters of depression.
And that’s not just from the personal perspective. As I said in the intro to this journal entry, everything else going on is lumped on top. As a life-long scuba diver, it’s extremely upsetting to see those videos of marine life suffering because of us. I’ve been diving the Keys, Mexico, Australia, Hawaii all my adult life. My last trips to those places were simply depressing, a wasteland where so much natural beauty used to exist—something our grandkids will never get to see for real.
Watching what’s happening on the humanity front, world-wide, is pretty terrifying. We’re on the brink of global apocalyptic war, or else, if Trump wins, likely a gentle non-violent easing into generations of world-wide authoritarian rule. Why hang around for that? Although, we are prepared and it might be fun going out as a Mad Max type of vigilante. I loved creating and writing about a dying vigilante in my Vigilante Angels trilogy.
As mentioned in the into, the United States is no longer in the list of twenty happiest countries in the world. We are the wealthiest country in the history of the planet. So, why? The primary reason is that for decades, we’ve been subjected to a non-stop barrage of propaganda from the uber-wealthy right that is powerfully designed to keep the working class majority pissed off about all kinds of non-existent stuff, starting with the Rush Limbaugh days. And, those same are folks cleaning out your tax monies for themselves, while not actually paying any taxes themselves, while you’re distracted with all that anger. Spoiler Alert: Giving them the money did not trickle down to you. It gushed to their off-shore accounts. They convinced you the Trump tax cuts would pay itself. Guess what? It put us trillions of dollars further in debt (which you, your kids, grandkids on down will pay for). It’s all, “Look over there, caravans of murderous, rapist dirty immigrants coming to steal ya jobs! Look over there, they gonna take away ya guns! Look over there, all that socialism when they give back the money you paid into Social Security, unemployment, Medicare all your lives! Look over there! Hillary’s emails, Hunter’s laptop, Obama’s birth certificate!” Jesus.
They convince you that if you get anything for your tax dollars, it’s socialism, and “entitlements.” But, go back to that list of happiest countries and look at that top twenty. It’s almost all *democratic* socialist countries that in return for fair contributions from the populace, provide good, strong health care, comfortable standards of living for everyone, safe roads and bridges, ample time off from work and vacation time each year, early retirement.
What don’t you see in the happiest countries list? You don’t see *authoritarian* socialist countries run by dictators. Not a one. Because life is miserable under authoritarian rule. The conflation of the evil word socialism with those types of countries, rather than the happy ones where it’s done right (along with providing freedom) is just another mind-f*ck they screw you up with.
Okay, have I brought you down to my level? Ready to drive off the cliff with me? Let’s get to the point. How to be happy amid all that. Here’s how I do it. Here’s the checklist to work through in the worst of times.
Count those blessings. I think of all I have to be thankful for. My kids and grandkids are all healthy. There are families suffering each day in children’s cancer wards. If that’s not the case for me, or something equally egregious, really anything else is gravy. I have wonderful people in my life who love me. If you don’t think you do, well, I love you, so there’s a start.
Forgiveness. Let go of the anger you may be harboring for those who have done you wrong. It likely doesn’t bother them, but it does affect you negatively. They may be enjoying that! It affects your state of mind and happiness. Happiness can’t fit in with all that held anger. Often, people do horrible things because they’re unhappy and have had horrible lives. Pity them, forgive them. It’s what Jesus asked us to do. From small things like the person who just cut you off, to the big ones. Let it go.
Financial. Money is the primary stressor in most relationships and lives. Deal with that starting now. Fix it. Kiss Your Money Hello (and Financial Stress Goodbye) is the ultimate guidebook to fixing it. Start today. Think it can’t be done? Look, we spent $23,000 on an almost brand new, high tech, comfortable home and set it up on a beautiful scenic, quiet, lakeside property for $700 a month (including most utilities). Yes, there are people here with kids. Very lucky kids, to grow up in this natural environment. They have fishing, mini-golf, countless new friends from all over each year.
Mindfulness. Learn to teach yourself to relax, get in a zone, meditate. It’s not hard. Read or listen to books on mindfulness and Buddhism. It works. See my recent post with some short, simple books to read or listen to.
Fight back. Take on the things that upset you. Get involved in causes you believe in. Find a way, there’s always time, even if just from home. We all love the stories about someone who is bullied to the point they tire of it and take action.
Believe. Accepting the idea that there is something out there can help immensely. You don’t have to participate in all the human-designed rituals, join a cult, even go to church. Just…believe. Live the kind of life that, should you be right, will grant you an eternity in bliss with everyone you’ve ever loved in your life. Even if you’re wrong, accepting and believing this will make a profound impact on your happiness and should render those big upsetting problems as miniscule in the grand scope of this profound revelation. See my afterlife posts.
Give. No matter how bad you think you have it, many people have it worse. Help someone out randomly, each day. Give a little to charities, even if just a few bucks. It feels good, it’s empowering.
Break free. Stuck in job or relationship that’s making you hate life and feel helpless? It can be hard, but break free. Just do it. See #3 above. You’ll be OK, you deserve better. Life will go on. See #6.
Reconnect. Go see people who make you happy. Giavana and Pia make me happy. Consider a pet. Rekindle old friendships from happier times. I’ve been so down, but going yesterday to see my three kids and all eight of my grandkids, their exuberance and happiness, was intense happiness therapy.
Have an escape. Take up reading or listening to audiobook novels. Go for walks and listen to those audiobooks. Escape to other worlds, even if just for a little while. Watch happy, funny movies. Take up a hobby, grow something. Write a pioneer journal :-) Build a playlist of all that favorite, happy, uplifting music from past eras of your life. It can change your mood after just a little while. Here’s a partial list of mine, to get started:
Get Together, Jesse Colin Young & the Youngbloods
A Beautiful Morning, The Rascals
Three Little Birds, Bob Marley & the Wailers
Groovin’, The Rascals
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkle
There you go. Print that list off, save it in a digital or paper notebook. Want a few minutes of happiness? Watch this beautiful, uplifting video, with lyrics, of the top song on that list.
What’s Next?
Thanks for attending my TED Talk. Writing this has been therapeutic for me! I have some stuff coming up this week that I have to deal with, and it won’t be fun. I’ll put that in a paid post since that’s where all the more personal stuff goes. Don’t worry, all the above words will be top of mind!
I’m gonna head outside now, and enjoy this beautiful Sunday. Next week we’ll begin prepping our summer site in the woodlands. I can’t wait to report back to you!
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If you hear the song I sing
You will understand
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It's there at your command
Come on, people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another right now
—written by Dino Valenti, sung by The Youngbloods (and many others!)
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