Life in Activism: Four Ways to Keep Your Spirit Up, Even in Dark Political Times

Photo by Mukesh Sharma on Unsplash

If you are reading this, there is a high chance you agree with me that this is a dark political moment in America. Congress just passed Trump's “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Companies targeted by Trump with frivolous lawsuits continue to cave instead of defending their rights. The Supreme Court keeps restricting the ability of the judiciary to rein in the executive branch. Our longstanding alliances seem to be breaking down. Trade wars, and real wars, are raging. And so, so much more.

That said, even as political activists working to make the world a better place, we don't need to let difficult news destroy our moods. In fact, we don't even really need to let it damage our moods, at least not all that much. It is entirely possible, even right now, to keep your spirit up and your mood positive. In fact, I would argue that it is important for political activists to do this, as a positive mood and general good feeling go a long way toward building your endurance to engage in political activism over the long run.

I have been working on keeping my mood up no matter what is happening in the world for so long at this point, that I believe I can distill my method for doing so into four, easy to replicate steps. Below the fold, for paid subscribers, I present my four steps, in the hope that it will help you keep your mood up as well.