Today marks yet another start to yet another year.

2024 is probably gonna be a crazy year in many ways, at least when it comes to politics. Like most people, I’m not looking forward to the bullshit that every election year seems to bring, which is why I’ve been (and will continue to be) very mindful about my “media consumption” over these last several years. 

I’m not sure what has happened, but politics in America seem to be more extreme and divided than ever before in recent history. According to the Pew Research Center, trust in the government has reached an all-time low. According to Gallup, trust in the media has also reached a near-record low. Both things don’t shock me in the least, especially since I’m one of those people who fervently distrusts the government and the media. 

For the record, I’m not an anarchist or someone who thinks the media is completely worthless. Indeed, both government and an honest media are necessary to keep a functional society… well… functional. But, when the media turns sensationalist and the government becomes extreme, bad things are bound to happen. Very bad things. 

In fact, I’d argue that we’re already seeing such consequences of a functional society going south faster than a frigophobic goose. Crime is starting to creep up. Suicide and mental illness are at an all time high. Loneliness (which can be as bad for one’s health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day) was recently declared an epidemic. Terrorism (which is defined as politically motivated violence) and the threat of terrorism have both increased in the USA. More than half of Americans believe we are on the brink of another Civil War! The list (as usual) goes on. 

Overall, it’s a shitshow, and I think people are right to be on-edge right now. 

However, all that doom-and-gloom said, I don’t think the future is as bleak and hopeless as the news and social media would have one believe. In fact, for the first time in my life, thanks to a handful of reasons, I have genuine hope for the future. Both for my future as an individual, and for the future of this country and the world as a whole. 

I know, I know… it’s shocking that such things are coming from a self-proclaimed pessimist, grumpy old lady, and “miserable bastard”. But, the truth is, humanity hasn’t seen a more prosperous time in history. And, I think it’s only gonna get better as the years wear on. 

What has led me to this conclusion? 

First, it had to start on a personal level. These past few years, I’ve really worked my ass off to heal from my past and change my mindset, after Trikafta physically healed my body. Instead of simply being dreadfully scared shitless of the future, I’ve figured out that I can be both scared shitless of the future and excited for it. Also, there’s a lot (and I mean a lot) I can do on a personal level to make my life (and the lives of others) better. 

I spent much of 2023 slowly adding onto my list of healthy habits, and I plan on continuing to do so in 2024. 

In 2023, I managed to fix my sleep schedule (if you could’ve even called it that) so I wasn’t so tired in the daytime, or so wired at night. I also made it a rule to get at least thirty minutes of outside-time per day, as well as at least thirty minutes of cardio exercise per day. If the weather was bad, I’d sit by an open window for at least thirty minutes to make sure my body knew it was daytime, and spent another thirty minutes using the elliptical in the living room. If, for some reason, the elliptical wasn’t available or I didn’t want to use it, I vowed to do at least thirty minutes of some other physical exercise, such as running up and down my stairs, doing pushups and situps, moving heavy things around, etc. 

As far as diet went, I forced myself to eat three balanced meals per day. If, for some reason, I genuinely couldn’t eat a meal that day, I made myself take my medication with a large glass of milk, and ate something green along with it (such as a small salad, steamed broccoli, or edamame). I also discovered that on cold, wintery days, I liked to drink tea mixed in with lots of honey. Turns out, black tea doesn’t taste much different than chamomile tea when it’s mixed with honey, and it has the same amount of caffeine in it as a can of Diet Coke. So, guess who’s been drinking tea in the mornings instead of cracking open a can of soda? 

Finally, in 2023, I managed to overcome a lot of my personal insecurities and traumas relating to school and my social life. I’m no longer convinced that I’m a complete fucking idiot destined for failure. 2023 showed me that not only could I succeed in difficult, math-and-science-heavy college courses like College Algebra and Psychology 101, but I actively enjoyed those things. So, starting the middle of this month (January 2024), I’m gonna be taking on a College Precalculus class that’s worth five credits. 

The downside is that it’s an 8:00 AM class. But it was either that or a 6:15 PM Monday-Wednesday class. Since I’m unwilling to sacrifice a huge chunk of my social life to suffer through a dinnertime pre-calc class, I’ve decided I’d gladly wake up at the buttcrack of dawn to attend an 8:00 AM class for five whole credits.

Of course, precalculus is not the only class I’ll be taking on this semester. I’ve decided to go ahead and sign myself up for two more classes: Psychology 102 with the same professor I had for Psychology 101 (to account for the last three credits I need in human/social science stuff), and Environmental Science of Natural Disasters (which is online, and will give me a few science credits). Honestly, I’m cautiously excited to start my studies up again, especially now that I’ve reached the point of my break where boredom has settled in, and anxiety is trying to take its place. 

I say “cautiously excited”, because I’m still nervous about how well I’ll do as basically a full-time student (I’ll be taking eleven credits this semester, while a student who takes twelve credits is considered full-time). But, I’m sure as long as I take decent care of myself, stick to my routine, and don’t procrastinate too much, I’ll be just fine. Also, C’s get degrees, so if I find myself getting sick or burned out, I can pull back a little bit and still get full credits. Oh, and if I fail, I have another summer semester, and a fall semester, and even another spring semester next year to try again.

Overall, I have no real reasons to be afraid of my personal future as a student. Nor do I have any real reasons to be afraid of my personal future when it comes to my overall health/wellbeing, either. As a twenty-two-year-old, I’ve been a legal adult for four years (going on five in May). As a legal adult, I have a lot of control over my life that I did not have when I was a kid. Obviously, I’m not God, so I can’t control or influence everything. But I can control how I react to the expected and unexpected, and the rest I can vent out in therapy, on my hikes, and with the Lord. 

Everything I just talked about are strictly some of the personal goals, abilities, and victories of mine; things that really have little to nothing to do with whatever’s going on outside of my personal life. What classes I choose to take in college have basically nothing to do with what candidates and policies I decide to vote for/against this year. Whether or not I decide to spend my mornings outside or inside has basically nothing to do with what the people around me are up to. Whether or not I start my day with a hot cup of tea or a cold can of soda isn’t dependent on really anything outside of my control. So on and so fourth. 

The question now becomes, “How do I feel about the year from here on out?”

As I demonstrated previously, when it comes to my personal life and goals, I’m feeling quite optimistic. I’m still very cautious with my optimism, and my anxiety will never let me forget about the possibility of shit going south. But, as it stands right now, I think I’ll get on with life just fine. And I have lots of things to look forward to and have confidence in. 

When it comes to things beyond me, from politics t0 the weather, I’m far less optimistic. But, don’t confuse that pessimism with fear. 

Indeed, I understand why someone would be scared shitless of the year ahead. Politics is ugly as it is, and it’s only gonna get uglier as the year wears on and the November elections draw nearer. With left/right extremism getting more prominent and… well… extreme, mental health issues skyrocketing even more, and public trust at an all time low, I suspect we’re gonna see some crazy shit go down this year as a result of that. But, I don’t think fear is the right way to respond to whatever happens from here on out. 

Sure, awareness is important. But fear, especially to the point of illness? I don’t think so. 

Again, I know it’s quite ironic for that to come from me of all people. But, I’m speaking from experience, and that experience has taught me that worrying myself sick over something, even if I have every right to be so worried about something, helps nothing and nobody. In other words, if I can’t control or do something to change it, what’s the point of worrying about it? Why not give it to God, and focus on things I can do?

That said, I’m not advocating for total ignorance of what’s going on that’s outside of one’s control. People still need to be decently informed on politics and the economy, and other things that will have an indirect (and sometimes direct) impact on their lives. People still ought to vote and make their voices heard on things that are very important to them. But, at the same time, it’s equally important to recognize that nobody can save the world, let alone slightly change it all by themselves. It’s important to take one’s wellbeing into account. 

In simpler terms, if the news keeps you up at night, don’t look at it! Certainly don’t obsess over it. Doing so will do nothing except make your quality of life worse. Don’t believe me? Measure your blood pressure when you’re knee deep into the news. I guarantee you’ll have something going on akin to White Coat Syndrome. 

Ultimately, as pessimistic as I am about things, I don’t think daily life will change very much (if at all) for the average American no matter who is in the Oval Office. Sure, we have a handful of crazies in power (and who are seeking power) in Congress. Even so, there are enough crazies on both sides to keep things relatively unchanged in the United States. I’m not saying that’s a good thing. I’m just saying it is what it is. 

Plus, I really do think there are also more than enough competent people in the US government to keep things relatively stable. I don’t think the average politician is very smart in any way, shape, or form. But, that’s why they appoint the officials that they do (plus, the Senate gets a say in whether or not a presidential appointee gets the job, so there’s that too). 

Long story short, I think everyone who is super worried about this year’s bullshit needs to just take a chill pill; to get on with life again to the best of their ability. Because, at the end of the day, really nothing’s in our control. One can’t even dictate whether or not their heart will keep beating, let alone who the next president will be, or what bills will or won’t become law, or whether or not it will snow tomorrow, or whether or not you'll take another breath. So, why not focus on the things you can control: what you do and don’t eat, when you go to bed and wake up, what you wear, how much you exercise, how much you go outside, whether you walk, bike, or drive, what boxes you do and don’t check on the ballot, the list goes on. 

And give the rest to God. 

At least, that’s what I try my best to do every day.