A Brighter Future

It’s all too easy to get depressed about the state of the world today. You only have to turn on the news to be bombarded with tales of woe and despair – terrorism, motiveless violence, obesity, unemployment, failing economies, pollution, poor education standards, poverty and, most recently, the threat of a flu pandemic that – if the scaremongers are to be believed - could strike down 40 per cent of the UK and kill up to 120 million people worldwide. In fact, all things considered, it’s a wonder we don’t just hold our hands up and admit defeat, wave the white flag and send a message to our future generations (if they actually survive the mess we’ve created in our wake, that is) that we’ve failed in our mission to make the world a better place and have, in reality, made it a hell of a lot worse.

Yes, it’s all too easy to get depressed, but in spite of our failings the one thing mankind can be truly proud of is the irrepressible power of the human spirit - the desire to keep striving for a better way of life even in the face of adversity and apparent hopelessness. You can see it in the faces of earthquake survivors, casualties of war, the thousands of Londoners who boarded the trains and buses after the 7/7 attacks in London and refused to let the terrorists win. No matter how small the glimmer of hope may be, it’s there somewhere, such is the nature of humanity, and it’s up to every one of us to channel that hope in some way, do our own small bit to fight against the malaise that is permeating society.

Everyone experiences hopelessness and despair at some point in their lives, some more than others. But if you believe in a brighter future and see the part you as an individual can play in making it happen, then surely you can make a difference - no matter how small - that will go some way towards lessening that hopelessness and despair?

Life’s too short to worry and it’s definitely too short to panic. Maybe we will all get wiped out by climate change, war, drought, famine or – God forbid - swine flu, but if every one of us has done something to make a difference to the world before we die, wouldn’t that testament to the human spirit be a legacy of the human race worth leaving?