7 Ways to Overcome the Insanity of Modern Life

Without question, these modern times are becoming more and more challenging to ordinary people as concerning news and events overwhelm us. An honest assessment of the human condition reveals perils of every type.

The economy sucks thanks to the greedy criminals who have death-grip on our monetary system. People seem to be losing their minds and behaving like animals as a first response. Selfishness and irresponsibility trump honesty and integrity, and lawlessness is the new norm. Get used to it. Our national leadership is, well, to be blunt, crap, and no one in office is presenting a vision of the future worth living in. While the soulless scuds in congress debate over new wars, beating veterans off the national mall, and how much more debt we should resign our grandchildren to, Fukushima goes unaddressed. Our environment and all of God’s creatures in it have been sold to industry, and what public land isn’t being raped and fracked is in government shutdown. Privacy is gone, security is a lie, and the mainline media and government propagandists pimp fear, stupidity, ignorance and hate as though nothing else matters.

So much of this is beyond the control of the individual, but we all play our part. The world doesn’t have to be this way, yet it is, and so we must do our best to maintain equilibrium in this long emergency.

For even the most resilient and positive of us, life can become oppressive, frightening and bleak sometimes, and when it does we have to make more of a conscious effort than ever before to maintain sanity and peace of mind. Bad news is infectious, but, while we’re sulking and entertaining this negativity, the beauty of our lives continues on before our eyes, and if we don’t actively reset ourselves, then we miss out on the joy that is life, and we overlook the astounding beauty that lies in each moment. Life is a gift and a treasure, and the best revenge truly is living well.

Here are some very important keys to bringing life back into harmony and balance in these worrisome times:

1. Develop a Personal Practice – A personal practice is often a physical or meditative art which allows us to concentrate completely on the happenings within. Many modern people are re-discovering ancient modalities of spiritual and physical cultivation, such as Yoga, meditation and martial arts. Learning the skills of a physical art, then integrating them into daily life is one of the most powerful ways of maintaining stasis and discovering new strength and vitality. The integrative arts are a keen way of monitoring one’s personal condition, improving wellness, and gauging one’s capacity to withstand this insanity. An ongoing personal practice offers regular renewal and re-centering and is a powerful of method of re-establishing perspective, control and self-control. As a practice becomes more of an appreciated part of life rather than just a chore, one develops the insight to know when life is drifting our of control, while also developing the tools to quickly and mindfully return to balance.

2. Detoxing and Re-discovering Health – Our modern health care system is based on the expensive notion of symptom suppression, not on the development of genuine, vibrant health, and the quality of our environment and food is dreadfully deteriorated with myriad pollutants and toxins. Being healthy is quite difficult nowadays, but physical health and an un-polluted body are absolutely critical to mental health and wellness. Changing our patterns of consumption and learning how to live independent of pharmaceutical, drug and alcohol dependence is a lifestyle change that we simply must make. Once a person gains a little ground on this front by sheer force of will, the natural drive to be well takes over and it becomes easy, and eventually common-sensical, to protect and nurture our health. Detoxifying the pollutants, heavy metals, fluoride and other toxic assailants from the body follows the changing of our habits of consumption.

3. Activism – Finding a voice in the cacophony of the information age is not easy for most of us, but in doing so, we discover that we have tremendous reserves of personal power and courage that bring an unfamiliar richness, fullness and vigor to life. Human beings are creatures of unimaginable potential, creativity and ingenuity, and re-claiming these qualities to put them in service for causes and issues we are passionate about means we are no longer acquiescent to the control-freak designs of our culture. Speaking up and being vocal about the quality of our world is deeply empowering, and an empowered person naturally shrugs off adversity and is more resilient to stress and adversity.

4. Kill Your Television – The mainstream news media and entertainment industry feeds us programming that heavily influences our perception of reality. By tuning in to this garbage, we are submitting to being emotionally manipulated and tacitly controlled. Fear, anxiety, insecurity, violence, desire and hate are the main vibrational qualities of the corporate/fascist media. Utilizing the ‘off’ switch and developing our own perceptions of reality is more likely to reveal a world of abundance, love, compassion, and forgiveness … all qualities important to a peaceful and balanced person.

5. Learn How to Say No – Saying ‘no’ is perhaps the most important social skill we can develop in order to maintain our sanity and personal sovereignty. We can use this in interpersonal relationships, while working for ‘the man’, and at the airport when the TSA goon wants to feel us up. Saying ‘no’ is surprisingly difficult, however, for ordinary people because culturally we are bred to obey ‘authority’, and to not ‘rock the boat.’ Conformity is demanded, but we must choose to comply with it. The world is in such shambles nowadays not because a cabal of shadowy elites is forcing us all into strife, conflict and terror, but, because so many ordinary people are afraid to say ‘no.’

6. Emergency Preparedness, Self-Sufficiency and Debt-Free Living – Being at least basically prepared for some of the obvious potential calamities, such as natural disasters, civil unrest and economic hardship, is an important key to resisting the fear consciousness and uncertainty in the world today. Decreasing dependence on the just-in-time food system by stocking up on storable foods and learning to contribute to our own food supply is a social responsibility we all share. Getting out of debt and not participating in the crooked credit schemes of the fiat economy is a revolutionary act, one that frees up considerable energy and resources from worry.

7. Gratitude – Intentionally practicing gratitude and thankfulness for the good things we do have is a powerful means of liberating ones’ self from the trap of want and desire that is an intrinsic feature of our consumeristic society. Many times when we feel down, depressed, or are agonizing over current affairs, the simple act of focusing on the good things surrounding us is enough to move our consciousness beyond its sad state. Material possessions offer only temporary boosts to happiness, much like drugs, alcohol, and entertainment distractions. More importantly, though, material pursuits and possessions represent a trap for the spirit. Letting go of these desires and acknowledging the critically important factors in life, like love, relationships and health, with a spirit of gratitude can be enough to liberate us from the anxiety and fear that is our recommended preconditioned response to the madness in our modern world.

Conclusion

Interesting times these are indeed, and each of us is faced with the option of giving in to the pollution, contamination and suppression of the human spirit, which so naturally yearns to be vibrant, radiant, alive and inspired. More than ever the world needs righteous actors to overcome the callousness and apathy that are endemic in our society. Hopefully these tips are of value when confronting circumstances which conspire to sap our personal energy and positive will.

Dylan Charles is a student and teacher of Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, a practitioner of Yoga and Taoist esoteric arts, and an activist and idealist passionately engaged in the struggle for a more sustainable and just world for future generations. He is the editor of WakingTimes.com, the proprietor of OffgridOutpost.com, a grateful father and a man who seeks to enlighten and assist others with the power of inspiring information and action. He may be contacted at [email protected].