When I’m discouraged, I turn to words and books to offer consolation and inspiration. If personal circumstances, the coming of winter, or the state of politics and public affairs have you feeling drained or down, here are five book related tips for rising above.
Keep Going by Austin Kleon
This fun little book, easy to digest in bits, offers encouragement and insight to creatives, but Kleon’s collection of snippets is useful for anyone trying to keep up motivation. My favorite quote appears near the end, from the late, great Toni Morrison:
This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge- even wisdom. Like art.
Toni Morrison, in Keep Going by Austin Kleon
Praying with Mother Teresa by Susan Conroy
One of my favorite life quotes comes from Mother Teresa:
It is better to light a single candle then to curse the darkness.
I can’t find a direct attribution for this quote, but here is an interesting and inspiring article about Mother Teresa and The Power of One. The article advises, “…the wisdom of Mother Teresa applies even in a time of crisis. One thing at a time. One step at a time. One soul at a time. One conversation at a time. One work of mercy at a time. Do the one work of mercy that’s asked of you right now. Love your family, or help your friends, or do good to the stranger.”
When the work seems overwhelming, this is a great reminder of how to start.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and the arc of the moral universe
Recently on a podcast, I heard a historian quote MLK Jr. as he discussed war in the Middle East. He said:
The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.
I find this attitude immensely comforting. And, as a Christian, I believe its true. But to really be moved, watch MLK deliver this line and others. I shiver listening to his hopeful words.
Learn more history
Speaking of MLK, in the past few weeks I’ve found consolation in learning more history and gaining perspective. Greedy, power hungry people have always been around to do awful things. (Exhibit A: Herod in the Gospel of Matthew.) Our job is to keep working against them. Our nation has faced division and challenges before. The Great Depression. McCarthyism. Vietnam. And that was just the 20th century. America has recovered. It will again.
I’m a huge fan of Stephanie Dray’s historical fiction. Check out here recent release, Becoming Madam Secretary, to learn more about one woman’s contributions to helping our country climb out of The Great Depression. To learn more about history, check out NPR’s Throughline Podcast. It explores many topics in American history and features a series called “We the People.” This examines each of the amendments to the US Constitution. Here’s the episode on The Second Amendment.
Action absorbs anxiety
Another great podcast for a time of distress is The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos. On World Mental Health Day October 2024, Dr. Santos gathered the “Titans of Happiness” to share their tips for staying calm and contented in challenging circumstances. One of her guests was Dan Harris, former TV anchor who now educates his followers about meditation with this 10% Happier podcast. He had the best quote of the episode:
Action could mean exercise. It could be volunteering to serve food to homeless in your city or working a shift at the local pregnancy center. It could be as simple as checking on a neighbor. Or, when you’re ready, it could be something slightly bigger, like choosing one issue you feel strongly about and getting involved with it. For me, that was running for school board in my little county. What might that look like for you?
I’d like to close with powerful words from Heather Cox Richardson, an American historian who currently teaches at Boston College. On Make Me Smart, she advised people concerned about the current American political climate:
You wake up and you just put one foot in front of the other and try to do the next right thing. And if enough of us wake up and do the next right thing for long enough, we turn it around.
We have a lot of humble, loving work to do in our country. I believe, one action at a time, we can get it done.
Do you?
Thanks for getting hopeful with me!
Oh! I loveee the Toni Morrison quote!