Future-Proofing Your Hope

Every time you open your phone, you’re greeted with a new reason why the world is ending. It’s climate change, it’s the economy, it’s the latest political disaster. It’s heavy. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that everything is perfect, because it’s not. But I am going to tell you that doomscrolling isn't a strategy for survival. It’s just a way to paralyze yourself. If you spend all your time mourning a future that hasn't happened yet, you won't have the energy to build the one you actually want. Hope is a discipline, not a feeling.

You have to protect your perspective. Just because the loudest voices are shouting about the apocalypse doesn't mean there aren't millions of people doing good work in the background. Scientific breakthroughs, community gardens, local activism—these things don't always go viral because they aren't scary enough. But they are real. You have to intentionally look for the helpers, as the old saying goes. If you only consume disaster, your brain will start to believe that disaster is the only reality. You have to feed your mind a balanced diet of information.

Start small. What can you actually control in your immediate environment? You can’t fix global warming by yourself, but you can show up for your neighbors. You can’t stabilize the global economy, but you can manage your own habits. Action is the best antidote to anxiety. When you take a tiny step toward a goal, you’re telling your brain that you still have agency. You’re proving to yourself that you aren't just a victim of circumstance. That’s where real positivity comes from—it’s built on the ground, not found in a cloud of digital noise.

We need you focused. We need your generation to be the ones who didn't give up. If the algorithm manages to convince you that hope is a delusion, it has effectively neutralized you. Don't let that happen. Keep your eyes on the horizon but keep your feet moving. There is still so much worth fighting for, and there are still so many beautiful things waiting to be created. You’re not just a witness to history; you’re an active participant in it. Act like it.