I’ve been exhausted lately, wondering why I’m not getting more done. Then I reviewed my invoices for the year. It turns out I’ve written almost as much this year as I did the entirety of last year. It’s no wonder I’m tired, and I should probably feel less guilty.
With this in mind I want to talk to you, yes you, about any lingering sense of guilt you might have. Let it go. You’re doing fine. Better than fine: you’re thriving. Your ancestors could not dream of the prosperity that you live in, that you take for granted, and would marvel at the specific skills and abilities that you take for granted. You can do things that no one else can do.
Beyond that, though, you’re worthwhile. There are people who care about you, even if you don’t believe that. Our culture doesn’t say these things, or tries to wrap them in several layers of irony. And I love irony—I live in it—but it’s not an answer. We can’t make the world a better place by pretending we don’t care about it, or by pointing out the ways in which it is shitty. We need to appreciate what is good, and that starts with appreciating what is good in us. What is good in you.
So stop feeling like shit—you’re doing great. Yes, things feel messed up—it’s somehow been less than two weeks since the assassination attempt and five days since Biden dropped out. In three days, I assume, we’ll find out at least one presidential candidate is literally a lizard and it will have no affect whatsoever on the polls. Yes, it’s all exhausting. And yes, we could very well lose everything we love to some combination of fascism, climate change, and apathy.
Right now, though, take a moment to appreciate yourself. You’re doing great. People care about you and you care about others. That’s the point of all this. That’s why we need to keep going. Feeling guilty accomplishes nothing. Just leave things better than you found them and try to connect with others.