Disheartening. Unbelievable. Devastating. These are all emotions that can attack when you see evil win. When it seems the whole world is topsy-turvy. And there is no sense of justice. It is a phenomenon that can bring you down and leave you paralyzed.
How do you crawl out of the hole that leaves you feeling hopeless? Here are a few tips to start you on your way back.
Give Yourself Time to Process. The world is out of kilter. It is not your imagination. There are misaligned values at play. We don’t always understand why that is. But you can either stay in that state of misalignment. Or you can take action. Let it sift through your mind until you are willing to accept that it is. You are ready to move on if you can come to that acceptance.
Redefine Your Values. You have accepted the truth of the situation. It’s time to shore up your values. They have been battered. They have been questioned. They have been told they are wrong. Look at them again. Compassion. Love. Equality. Integrity. Social justice. Placing yourself in another person’s shoes. Can these ever be considered wrong?
What do those values say about the evil that pervades?
If you are honest (another good trait), can your values be wrong? They may be battered, but they are not broken. As they heal, allow them to flourish.
Gather Your Courage. Once you have held tight to your values, gather your courage. It is going to take much work. Fighting for rights and moral causes is a lonely struggle. It will require all the courage you can gather. Take strength in the wisdom your values give you.
Stand Your Ground. Hold fast to your values and their right to stand. They must prevail in the end. You are the warrior for virtue. Corrupt acts are flimsy. They will eventually implode upon themselves. Infighting and one-upmanship will lead to chaos—and eventual disintegration. Evil cannot stand in the long run.
Work Toward Good. Take your cause to the street. Find organizations and groups that support the fight. There are others like you. And there is power in numbers. Bring your talents and your enthusiasm. Your contribution will add glue to the honorable structure of change.
Evil wins if you succumb to its force. Please don’t allow it to take hold of you. There is hope in goodness. We strengthen each other. And we strengthen the world. We gently pound against rock-hard evil with the water of integrity and scrub away the grit. In the end, those silent forces win.
Copyright 2024, Monica Nelson
