My mind is always racing with things to rant and rave about, with ideas and solutions to problems, and I find myself sometimes dwelling on those problems a bit too much. As many people who have taken the heart wrenching delve into alternative knowledge and have discovered some of the darkest corners of corruption, it can be easy to find myself bogged down. I feel immensely blessed that I am not by nature a downer, and hate feeling sorry for myself or stressing over situations I cannot control. It always helps to make a list and go through everything I have to be grateful for, and this process brings a much needed balance.

 

I love reflecting on this gift of life I have, that I can experience such great highs and lows and that those experiences help shape me and hopefully better my ability to empathize with others. Just the fact that I am breathing and awake each day is mind blowing to me, and that I get to partake in this miracle. It is miraculous that in the microcosm of our bodies, we function automatically and make connections from our brains to our physical bodies that happen so rapidly we don’t even think about them; that without every little specific bacteria and cell and connective processes we would not even be alive. We are wonderfully made on just a basic physical level, and possess such abilities unlike any animal that shares this earth with us.

 

While knowledge increases sorrow, that sorrow plants seeds of understanding that can grow and bloom into positive action. I do not subscribe to the idea of American exceptionalism, but we have been immensely fortunate to live in a country where the opportunities for advancement are literally at our fingertips. It is up to us to recognize the responsibility we have as a caveat of our privilege, though, and this is something else that should be highly appreciated. Responsibility is not a burden, but an opportunity to use our status as a way to encourage others and set an example for future generations and likewise be an inspiration to older generations. These times are exciting, and though the future bodes uncertain for my generation with regard to the debt and wars, the world is becoming a different place as more and more people realize that blind submission to immoral authority has yielded nothing but bitter fruit. We cannot depend on leaders to fix the problems we face, but the time is ripe for a new mode of thinking that is solution--not problem--oriented.

 

A mere six years ago, a transition began in my life that would affect my entire worldview drastically in such a way that would never allow me to go back to my old way of thinking. Having always found an outlet for my frustrations in writing, I began writing loads of poetry and that would land on sometimes deaf ears despite my passion. Some people really liked it, and others thought I sounded preachy, but I am so thankful that I even have an outlet to physically express myself. I am equally grateful that I now contribute to Freedom’s Phoenix, and some people even seem to genuinely like what I write about! I am eternally grateful for the rock I have to stand on, and the source of my abilities—God the Creator, for I do not believe that any talent I may have comes only from myself, but exquisitely from the opportunities I have had to hone my skills as a result of having the blessing of life. I still love you if you disagree with the concept of a Creator, and do not want to imply that I am such a good writer that my words are divinely inspired or anything ;) Deep love is yet another feeling that overwhelms me and captivates me. Even if you don’t believe in God, we all have the ability to love deeply, and as humans we should take every chance we get to love and be loved. I love that there is so much to be grateful for and one of those is love itself.

 

It feels astounding to be part of a movement of people who care so much the direction our country is heading and who focus so much on the solutions to the issues we face. It is even more astounding to see how many more people are waking up to the truths of this world compared with just a few years ago. The veracity with which people are pursuing knowledge and connecting with others to attempt to fix our society gives me real, abiding hope that no political campaign can trademark. Despite the pain questing for the truth can cause, it is out of tragedy that we are made stronger, more capable, and even more loving. We have so much good to be truly thankful for, but I have found that being even more grateful for the trials we go through offers resilience and grace that cannot be learned in any other way. There is no question that difficult times are here and more will come, but we have all the tools necessary to overcome them with dignity and can use the mercy we acquire to continue to make a better future. Remarkably, in spite of all this we can still be thankful that we can be thankful.