The Tarot Lady Unplugged: Is the World Getting Worse?

The Tarot Lady Unplugged is my very best life advice based on the common concerns my clients bring through my door. No tarot – simply common sense (and compassionate) solutions to issues.

The “world is going to hell in a hand basket” talk has probably been going on since the beginning of time. All you have to do is turn on your news, and soon, you’ll feel like Chicken Little too, waiting for the sky to fall.

It doesn’t matter if the station you choose is liberal or conservative – they all preach doom and gloom.

During voting season, my office looks more like a funeral parlor. I’ll often have people come in after the election ends to bemoan the fate of the world. It doesn’t matter which side wins either – the losing party will arrive with a long face and talk of “where the world is heading”.

In my work, I have dealt with a lot of people who are convinced things are only getting worse…and they long for the “good old days”, when times were “simpler”.

So is the world getting worse? Are we destined for a terrible future straight out of Soylent Green?

Here’s my take on that: the world has ALWAYS had problems. Yes, bad shit happens all the time. All one has to do is look back on history and you’ll see famine, illiteracy, murder, war, cruelty, serial killers, drug addiction, slavery, epidemics, weather disasters, corrupt politicians, etc. If you dig around, you’ll find plenty of evidence that the “good old days” were not so good or simple. (You’ll also see that this stuff still exists today – we have not wiped out any of it.)

Now look at all the good things that have happened just in our lifetime: technology has made life better, we’re living longer than ever, we have more awareness on environmental issues, there is progress on human rights (we still have a long way to go but I’d rather live now than back in the early 1900’s when I couldn’t even vote), and more women and minorities are stepping into roles of power.

In other words, it’s complicated. We’ve always had a mix of evil and good. Yin and yang. And most likely, we’ll continue to see that.

The next time you’re convinced that things are “getting worse”, I want you to take a moment and look around you. You’ll find plenty of things to be grateful for right here, right now. Turn your attention to the things and people that are with you today. Because ultimately, the present is all that matters and you’re very lucky to be living in this time. Make the most of now.

“Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, it is the only time we’ve got.” ~ Art Buchwald

Blessings!

Theresa