As Beppo the street sweeper said in "Momo" (the one by Michael Ende), if you look down the street, it feels endless and exhausting. But if look at the broom, an

As Beppo the street sweeper said in "Momo" (the one by Michael Ende), if you look down the street, it feels endless and exhausting. But if look at the broom, and concentrate on doing each sweep well, you will both do a better job of it as well as feel much better. Personally, I think it's crucial to become part of the solution to problems we become aware of, otherwise, we basically practice being aware and helpless. But that can be anything IMO, and it doesn't have to be a great contribution or the solution to all our problems. You (or I) didn't cause the situation billions of us are in, and we cannot foretell or influence or even withstand our collective mass movements, or the results of our current blind spots, etc. So it's also super essential to let it go in a real way. "Saving the world" makes sense because of the people (and animals and plants) in it, and you're also a peep, so it must not come at the cost of breaking you. The sweet spot is probably where still can sleep well, just not at the cost of cynicism of apathy. I think some sadness is simply the inevitable result of awareness that also brings joy, so keeping the awareness, and trying to transform the sadness into productivity and empathy where we can, is the best we can do really. Speaking of all that, here's an article I just read again: https://www.salon.com/2012/06/17/when_chomsky_wept/ https://www.salon.com/2012/06/17/when_chomsky_wept/