I get it! You are mad as hell! Depending on your perspective you either feel President Trump’s conspiracy theories, lies, and dangerous actions are a major threat to democracy,…OR…you feel the election was rigged and people cheated for Biden. Our nation is as divided as ever and one can feel there is no hope for reconciliation. Such a state does not lead to contentment or satisfaction. My goal with this post is to try to help turn up the dial to happiness no matter where you stand at the moment, and look at what exacerbates the situation.

Why are our heads so filled with such discordant noise of division and discontent? How can we untangle a bit from this unhealthy partisan echo chamber? Let’s take a look.

On both sides of the present political divide, we find social, radio, and TV media megaphones spewing 24/7 blasts of both factual…and unfortunately, false information, opinion, and extremism. Let’s begin by turning down the “political noise” knob. For some people, I am sure it has been “turned to…11!” We may not change our minds but we all must do what we can to add a little more joy to our life!

The chart above displays media sites and their Neutral, left, or right-leaning orientation. Some of the sites may be in flux but this is a good starting point. There has been an abundance of non-factual reporting leading to doubting our friends, family, partners, and people we work with. This has led to a distrust of our leaders, a feeling you can’t believe anything you hear, and a deterioration of plain old commonsense. Many scholars feel far-right as well as far-left media and websites “are one of the largest causes of anger in the world today!

Trying moving your media dial to a more neutral position. You just may find the door to more happiness opened a little.

William Swann, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin coined the term “identity fusion.” He felt that once some people tightly fuse with a group or leader, the followers believe things “are true” because the leader said them. Orienting so tightly around a leader or group can be “comforting” and “alleviates the cognitive and emotional burden of…thinking!” Dangerous alternative facts are often the outcome.

This is a profound quote from James Baldwin!

Wise thoughts from Maria Popova in Brain Pickings, “Allow yourself the uncomfortable luxury of changing your mind. Cultivate that capacity for “negative capability.” We live in a culture where one of the greatest social disgraces is not having an opinion, so we often form our “opinions” based on superficial impressions or the borrowed ideas of others, without investing the time and thought that cultivating true conviction necessitates. We then go around asserting these donned opinions and clinging to them as anchors to our own reality. It’s enormously disorienting to simply say, “I don’t know.” But it’s infinitely more rewarding to understand than to be right — even if that means changing your mind about a topic, an ideology, or, above all, yourself.“

Even in our COVID world, this might be the perfect moment to focus on charitable actions. Take a look at helping the homeless or even health-care workers. Many things can be done online, even Zoom charity galas! (You can leave your fancy dress and tux in the closet and still help those in need.) A good source to research a charity before donating is Charity Navigator.

Helping others is one of the most important thing we can do in life and as a bonus it brings happiness all around!

I can’t wait for the happy moment of being with my family again. News of a successful vaccine from Pfizer and their German partner, BioNTech is great news! Many other companies are close to development as well.

Take a break from all the stressful negative noise and meditate on the possibility of change. Envision the happiness dial turned up! Positivity can be infectious!

A wonderful way to relax is to imagine the sound of water running over rocks into a pond in a stream. I often fall to sleep at night with these thoughts.

There may be no better happiness therapy than immersing in the lushness of nature, hearing the sounds, and seeing all the shapes and colors.

Another option which can bring joy to your heart is to nurture your garden inside and out.

In this period of COVID, I find happiness doing my best to support locally owned stores and restaurants. The store above is the Peppercorn on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. If you must use Amazon be sure to switch to Amazon Smile. Amazon will donate .5% of your purchases to your eligible charity. I chose Anchor Center For Blind Children in Denver.

Another way to escape all the shenanigans of today’s craziness is to…cook more of your home meals! I awarded Marla a Michelin Star for her creative endeavors this year!

One very important ingredient to more happiness is…music! Turn up the volume whether Rock, Country, Jazz, Folk, funk, or…symphony! We are listening to my brother, Gary, in Hawaii earlier this year playing his version of “Creep” by Radiohead.

I watched the Doobie Brothers induction in this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This song features members of the Doobie Brothers and 30 more fabulous musicians from around the world. Created in 2018, this song will bring you happiness and joy! Give it a listen!

We will be able to travel safely again and I can’t wait. Some of us are simply tourists which is fine, while others are travelers seeking knowledge and inspiration. A happy bonus will be learning more about our world and…ourselves. The image above is at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco. Kyoto is a nice option as well.

I find my happiness dial turns way up when I travel to unique locales. Rick Steves says, “People who travel celebrate diversity, rather than staying in your bunker.”

Look at the smile on Marla’s face. The great outdoors is a happiness elixir! We tried to find new hiking trails this summer and fall near where we live.

Yours truly feeling energized being away from my phone, radio, and TV!

This could be the perfect time to explore our personal spiritual world.

Shovel some snow! There is nothing better for escaping the political noise.

Contemplation and introspection…with a glass of wine. We must let loose of our hate and do our best, step by step toward a happier and optimistic future. This may sound naive,…but we have to try! There is a Japanese expression, “Fall down once…get up twice.”

In the meantime…just chill with a good book and a happy smile on your face!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission. Other graphics and images freely sourced online.