It's true what they say, if you think that the world is - on the whole - a terrible and dangerous place, then you most definitely read too many newspapers and watch too much news on the TV.
Sensationalism sells issues, rakes in viewers and betrays our minds on daily basis. What can you say about a world so resplendent; so unequivocally, so unabashedly beautiful when all the mass media want to do is trodden on it with disease-laden, formal-wear shoes.
I'm not asking you to live in denial, to think that bad things only happen to other people. Of course they don't. Naivety of that standard will only serve to get you into trouble sooner or later. Yes, people are murdered both tactically and in cold blood; friends and family are lost to vicious diseases; famine sweeps and embraces the poorest parts of the world; natural disasters take lives sometimes without any warning; our daily actions are draining the earth of the natural resources it has taken millions upon millions of years to create. Whether these events, these actions, these consequences are within the grasp of our control or not, it is still not enough reason to live in fear.
Do football fans avoid going to matches for fear of being attacked by notourious hooligans; Do surfers avoid the sea for fear of being attacked by sharks; Do people avoid living on fault lines for fear of that one impending earthquake.
Of course they don't because all these events occur in their minorties. They are so miniscule in their occurences that they are not even worth thinking about.
I urge you to look around, see the beauty of the world and envelope yourself in all the things that are good in this world.
I'm sitting here right now surrounded by half a dozen panoramic windows as I overlook one of the most stunning sights I have ever seen. I have the privilege of living in Queenstown in New Zealand. If you've been here before then you'll know that I'm greeted by the sight of the Remarkables Mountain Range (named as such because they are one of only 3 ranges in the world that run from north to south); the Wakatipu lake sits at the feet of these mountains, rippling delicately as they reflect the ever-dynamic colours of the sky; and rolling hillsides drenched in a coating of - what looks like - millions of Christmas trees. To top it all off, part of the sky looks like the cotton wool section in the chemist, only to be bizarrely contrasted with the other half looking like the sheets of a gunshot victim.
Without sounding like an over-the-top environmentally friendly hippy or some brainwashed cult member I ask of you to cut down on watching the news and reading your papers. Yes, keep up to date on the goings on with the world, because ignorance isn't bliss, it's dangerous. But take some days to indulge in your world, rather than someone elses that happens to be filled with tragedy at that time. Take some time to enjoy what you have around you, whether it's a concrete jungle or a real life jungle. Our world is amazing and there are so many good things going on around them. Make some impulsive actions once in a while; don't get caught up in your 9-5 all the time; and more what's more important than anything else: enjoy your time with your friends and family. Life can be all about campfires and marshmallows, you just have to change your perspective.
On that note, for food tonight, I'm going to indulge in the local delicacy: Fish and Chips.
Fan-bloody-tastic!
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