How to keep living when the world is burning
I woke up this morning, and the first thing I did was check my phone.
News notifications. Climate reports. Palestine is still being bombed. Economic instability. The algorithm knows I care, so it keeps feeding me reasons to feel paralysed.
And I do feel paralysed sometimes.
Guilty, even.
How do you continue living, going to work, eating meals, laughing at stupid videos, when the world is quite literally on fire?
When people are suffering in ways you can’t fix?
When systems are breaking down, and you’re just... here.
One person. One tiny, insignificant person who recycles diligently and donates when possible and still feels like it’s not enough.
Because it isn’t enough. That’s the truth we don’t like to admit.
But here’s what I’ve been learning: that feeling of “not enough” comes from comparing my individual capacity to global-scale problems. And that’s not a fair comparison. It’s like blaming a single raindrop for not filling a reservoir.
I’m just one person. I can’t stop wars. I can’t reverse climate change single-handedly. I can’t fix economic systems, cure diseases, or save everyone who needs saving.
But I’ve done the best I could. And when I really look at it, doing my best is better than not doing anything at all.
And here’s the thing about those small acts: they’re only small from where I’m standing.
To the person receiving them, they might be everything. That conversation I had with someone struggling? That might have been the moment they decided to keep going. This newsletter I run every week? Someone told me it helped them feel less alone in their darkest moment.
We don’t get to see most of our impact.
It ripples outward in ways we’ll never fully know.
I used to feel awfully guilty every time I remembered that I could keep living my daily life while others were less fortunate. But I’m starting to see it differently now.
Maybe finding moments of beauty and connection in a chaotic world isn’t ignorance; it’s necessary fuel. Maybe taking care of yourself so you can take care of others isn’t selfish; it’s the only sustainable way forward.
The world doesn’t need more people burning out from guilt. It needs people who are recharged enough to keep showing up. It needs people who still have the energy to be kind, to create, to connect, to try.
Change happens when every person who decides to keep going despite the weight they feel. Not through one hero saving everyone, but through millions of ordinary people doing what they can, where they are, with what they have.
So yes, I’ll keep living. I’ll keep creating things that might help someone feel less alone. I’ll keep being kind to the people around me. I’ll keep learning, growing, and trying to do better. I’ll keep finding joy, because joy gives me the strength to keep caring about the hard things.
And I believe that’s exactly what the world needs from me.
Not a martyr. Not a saviour.
Just a person who kept going, kept trying, kept caring. One small act at a time.
Because when millions of us do that? That’s how the world changes.
I hope you find this insightful. Remember:
It’s not going to be easy,
But it’s not impossible.
Your friend,
Brian.