When we're young many of us believe that the world should be a certain way. As we get older we start to realize that our vision of this idealistic world doesn't always match up with how the world really is. Eventually given enough time we start to give in and accept the reality of how the world works. Sometimes we go even farther and come to expect the worst because our experiences haven't proven that it may be otherwise. While it's easy to become cynical and apathetic in this world, one has to wonder if doing so only helps perpetuate the problem. Sure seeing the world with the eyes of a cynic is a strangely protective way to operate. If the situation miraculously turns out better than we expected, then we're surprised, but we've invested nothing of ourselves and in that way wouldn't lose anything if the world lived down to our expectations. I've talked before about how reality tends to be somewhat dynamic and wholly based on our shared perception of the events around us. If that's true then wouldn't it stand to reason that a cynical person by their very nature is creating a cynical world around them? If reality is shared then those around cynicism can't help but be affected by it. Each of us influences the world around us. We are like pebbles dropped into a lake, the ripples we make eventually reach every part of the water.
Age can either soften or harden us. When I was younger I felt compelled to live by my ideals. Those who didn't share in them were something to rage against. So many aspects of my life turned into a battlefield as I fought to make sure that I didn't give in. The problem with that is that not everything needs to be a fight. It's not always true that if you're not with something that means you're against it, which may be contrary to what certain people would like you to believe. As I've gotten older I've found the intensity of my ideals has faded, but the ideals themselves are still there. With time it becomes easier to accept that the world doesn't always behave the way we'd like. Accepting that doesn't automatically mean you have to embrace that which goes against what you believe. This world is large and there can be a seemingly endless amount of things that we can't control. Even within ourselves there tends to be a certain level of chaos. With that there is still a piece of the world that we can control, which is our reaction to it all.
Some people never lose their ideals. They never become cynical, even in the face of overwhelming opposition. They go through life with that wide-eyed sense of wonder that seems reserved only for young children. They're often mistaken for being naive because how can anyone who's spent more than five minutes in this world not be jaded? Our past is always with us even though we do our best to stay at least one step ahead of it. For some of us the past weighs us down and makes it next to impossible to move forward without constantly looking back at what just happened and assuming it will be what will happen. It's easy to fall into that trap, but today does not equal tomorrow. Some people are able to move through this world without being brought down by it. The past is something that has happened. It's something that is to be learned from, but that's all it is. While most of us carry around baggage from throughout our lives, they tend to travel light. That's not to say they aren't affected by the world around them. It's just that they realize there is a finite amount of energy each of us is given. Why waste it on something that can't be changed? We've all met these kind of people before. They seem to be almost blessed in life. Is that because the universe favors them more? Or is it because if each of us creates our own version of reality they choose to create the best possible version? Now there are no delusions about the way the world works sometimes. There will be times when it seems like everything is working against you and the only thing you can hope to do is keep your head down and keep trudging forward. It's when we make it through those moments and onto the other side that we're in charge of how we move beyond it. It's our choice if we want to contribute to an already cynical world that seems intent on beating us down or if we want to work for something better.
