Does it ever seem like it’s too much to handle?

Maybe not life. Maybe your emotions and mental health are in a good place.

But then you watch the news.

Or glance at your Facebook or Twitter feed.

And then you see it.

Whatever the headlines are that day.

There’s a new conflict in another country now.

A dozen soldiers were killed in a current conflict.

A couple dozen civilians were killed in yet another conflict somewhere.

1 in 9 people in the world do not have access to clean water. That’s 844 million people.

There was an earthquake/hurricane/typhoon/tornado and people lost their lives.

A dude with a gun walked into a school/church/mosque/synagogue and shot a bunch of people.

Maternal mortality rates are rising in the U.S. Mortality rates are higher among those who don’t have access to adequate care.

The U.S. ranks 125th in the world in literacy rates at 86%.

No matter what your political preference, separating children from their parents isn’t exactly ethical.

94% of kids will have viewed pornography by age 14.

More than 10 million women and men are physically abused every year in the U.S. That’s one instance every 20 minutes.

And I won’t get into the increasingly divisive political stuff that fills the screens.

So what do we do?

Is there anything we can do?

It feels kinda hopeless, really.

So do you ignore the news? Or maybe just limit your exposure?

Do you advocate? Volunteer? March? Protest? Donate?

Maybe that’s really not your speed yet.

Maybe you need to do some research, gather information. Don’t just rely on the news or social media to tell you what’s what. Do some digging. Figure out who’s a trustworthy source and who’s not.

Then start.

Start somewhere.

What are you really passionate about?

Me, I love reading (bet you had no idea), so I’m naturally a fan of literacy.

That’s one of the reasons I volunteer at my local library’s Project Read.

That’s also why I donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

What’s up next?

I don’t know.

I recently read Thirst by Scott Harrison. So I will likely be donating to Charity: Water in the next year or so.

I don’t think I’m in a place right now where I can do too much more. But maybe, eventually.

In the meantime, check out some of the links above.

Do some reading. Inform yourself. Go from there.

If you’re feeling up to it, check out No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us by Rachel Louise Snyder.

I’m about half way through right now. I can’t tell you how much it’s changed my perspective on some things.

Best of luck to you. Maybe we can make the world a little better place.