Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.
Denis Waitley
Happiness, an elusive emotion, seems to be slipping away from me in a country plagued by petty and hateful behavior. The constant turmoil that surrounds me makes it increasingly difficult to shield myself from its negative impact. I struggle with finding ways to make a positive difference. I have limited financial resources that I can contribute to the cause, and I’ve written letters, but I wonder about their effectiveness. At my age, participating in protest marches can be physically and mentally taxing. I’m constantly seeking ways to contribute and make a positive change.
“Crazymaker” is a psychological term used to describe individuals who manipulate others by placing them in impossible situations. These narcissists lack empathy and show disdain for others, living in a constant state of crisis. Does this sound familiar? My actions in dealing with this tendency in our government, particularly its impact on me, are one of the few things I can do to maintain my mental health and happiness.
How can I protect myself from being entangled in this drama? Detaching from it is a worthwhile initial step. I don’t need to participate in the theatricality. I can refuse to allow the erratic behavior to personally affect me. I have no control over the unfolding events on the national stage. By allowing it to impact my happiness, I’m essentially conceding victory to the crazymakers. Following Mr. Waitley’s advice, I can choose to live with love, grace, and gratitude. There may not be many things I can do, but this I can attempt to accomplish.
Peace be with you.
Aging with Grace 
9 responses to “Happiness Amid Chaos”
There’s a chapter in a Julia Cameron book about Crazymakers! We get to choose who and what we surround ourselves with, lovely. I think a part of my purpose is to be a positive influence and offer hope to others, but I protect that by not watching the news. Sure, I scan the headlines, but I can feel it stealing my joy within seconds. We create our environment, so let it be filled with love, grace and gratitude. 🧡
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❤️ You are so right. We choose who and what to surround ourselves with.
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💞
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Mr Waitley is so right! And that’s a very apt word – Crazymaker!
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⭐️ I agree Crazymaker is a wonderful word. I wish I had thought of it!
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Dealing with the insanity of what’s going on today is a challenge, indeed. Personally, I don’t believe in not watching/being unaware of the news, because that’s how this all happened in the first place. But setting limits for ourselves – some balance of being aware yet not being dragged in to the circus – seems a helpful route. We can’t even send much-needed love and light to a situation if we don’t know it exists.
Letters count; calls count; sharing solid information counts. I am so deeply saddened at how narcissism and greed are ripping our country apart. I always remember, though — peace begins with me. Holding the line for love and humanity is a line I can hold every day. Cheers.
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⭐️”Peace begins with me”, is a good thing to remember.
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Lately, WP won’t let me “like” the host’s comment unless I reply again. Oy! So yes, we agree!
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⭐️ Happy to hear I’m not the only one with this problem.
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