How to be happy: 'Is life meaningless?'

'We are lied to in every area of life now. Politicians lie to us. The media lies to us. The sooner the human race dies out, the better. Give the planet back to all living things except human beings. Rob'

Step 1: We can often feel that trust is lost, human nature is unbearably destructive and we are overwhelmed by the apparent insanity that surrounds us. Although we can feel like victims in a traumatised world, we can also be unwitting perpetrators too, even with the best intentions. I say this because the underlying message in your letter is that there is no hope, and while understanding and caring for your feelings, I cannot share your sentiment. Without hope, nothing changes. Without hope, we cannot alleviate human suffering; we cannot forgive, forget and start again. If we lose hope, then we are truly lost, for without hope we cannot love.

Step 2: The depressed part of us says, "Give up, turn away from the world, it is hopeless." This part of us can be virulent, coursing through our experience, killing off the potential for a myriad alternative, constructive perspectives. It judges, blames and contaminates, condemning indiscriminately. The depressed narrative compellingly insists that this is the only reality, but this belief is just as unrealistic as believing that everything is perfect in our world. Both of these positions are equally distorted, delusional even. So what can we do?

Step 3: We can pursue a viewpoint that challenges these distortions and seeks the truth. There are people the world over prepared to sacrifice their lives for the truth to be revealed. If we were all to give up on humanity, what world would our children inherit? Depressed apathy murders our emotions and squanders our convictions, insisting that nothing can change. So take care of this depressed part of you; it is crying out for help. By beginning with yourself, you will discover that you are worth nurturing, as are all who inhabit the world. Let hope be your starting place. Be the change you want to see and begin to inhabit the joy of living compassionately, then watch the world around you miraculously change.