How to live meaningful, when the world is on fire

Are you also feeling scared and powerless, with all that’s going on in the world today? You’re not alone. This is what helps me stay happy & hopeful and has a positive effect on my surroundings, like the rippling of water.

This might be one of the most challenging times to live on planet earth. And we’re confronted with it the whole day through our screens. I’m having a hard time dealing with it all—the suffering of humans, animals, and nature, coupled with apocalyptic threats, makes me feel terrified, immensely sad, and powerless.

How can I still enjoy lunch with a friend, when children are being starved on purpose? How can I breathe deeply during yoga, when democracies are crumbling? Or dance at a festival, while ice bergs are melting?

In other words: how can I live a happy, meaningful life, when the world is on fire?

After a period of being sucked in to the horrors of the world through the news and instagram, sleepless nights and feelings of depression, I started to realize: I’m not helping anybody this way.

I can’t be resilient if I’m exhausted and depressed. I can’t have a positive impact on my surroundings and share my gifts with the world, if I’m not taking care of myself. AND, I’m missing out on all the beauty and positivity, that are also present.

I paused. Did some soul sourcing. Looked up articles and instagram accounts with hopeful messages. Talked to friends who are dealing with the same. That led me to this guide to living a meaningful life, even when the world feels like it’s on fire:

1. Take time to grieve

   
   

   Before shifting into a positive vibe, we need to process our sadness and fear. I needed to grieve the fact that the world is as beautiful as it is crazy and that my son is growing up in it. I took evening walks and let myself cry a river of global suffering. If we don’t grieve, we store that sadness and fear in our bodies, and get sick.

2. Take care of yourself and others

   
   

   We are alive and entitled to happiness, even when threats of war and climate change are knocking on our door. To stay present and resilient, we need to take care of ourselves and each other more than ever. Try to relax. Do fun stuff. Laugh. Dance. Practice AcroYoga. Sharing playfulness and loving touch is so valuable, especilly during dark times. Connect and hold on to each other. Surround yourself with beauty and positivity. Nourish yourself with positive news from sources like Imagine5 and Positive News. Crucially, put a timer on your phone. Your single nervous system is not wired to process the grieve of the globe; it’s designed to attune to a small community. Focus instead on spreading safety, belonging, and contribution within your immediate reach.

3. Do what you can to support people and planet, within your power You can’t change the world on your own, but you can certainly play your part. Every little action adds up to collective resistance. So demonstrate, sign petitions, and vote for parties that support people and the planet. Connect to neighbors from all backgrounds to create a dialogue. Switch to green and conscious banks, insurance companies, and energy providers. Boycott companies that support the opposite of supporting people and the planet. Support connecting initiatives and free journalism. Don’t believe you can’t make a difference! A wonderful example for our community is that by following classes at Playful People Tribe, you’re already helping us plant trees—we’ve planted about 32 in the last years!

   
   

4. Focus on your life’s mission

   
   

   A friend asked me a beautiful question: what’s your task in life? This helped put me back on the ground. While I can demonstrate and sign petitions, I also need to focus on what life asks of ME: being a loving mom, a good friend, and connecting people through AcroYoga. It made me realize how meaningful these tasks are, even if they seem as small as a drop in the sea. Remember, drops create rippling. Raising loving human beings and connecting people through movement and play are things that we need now more than ever. Whatever your task or life’s mission is, even if it’s very small, it has the potential to grow from a seed to a forest. Imagine the forest of happy human beings we are creating, playing, moving, and connecting through AcroYoga.

Let’s keep spreading positivity!

Hug,

Marijke