I can't fix the world. This should be my mantra. It's infuriating though. We have to live with the stupid decisions of others. One of the great conceits of survivalism is that you can and should step back and let others get their Darwin Awards. Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting what to eat for lunch. Sometimes that lunch is you. I think Survivalists need to bite the bullet instead of shoot it, and get involved in their communities, especially charity things, and recruit self sufficiency and civic pride. Local stuff.
Be valuable to the community and they probably won't turn on you like hungry cannibals when the going gets tough. And don't say that never happens. Whose house gets left to burn in the wild fire? Which levee is saved in the flood? Which school district gets the computer teacher and school books replaced? All politics is local, and we should focus our efforts locally, on the things we can actually change. Start with yourself and work outwards.
One huge source of misery is a dirty car. Wash the outside. Wax it. Rainx the windows. Then clean out the trash and vacuum it and wash the windows and instrument panel and wipe off the dust. Check the tire pressure. Change the oil. Change the air filter. That's 10 minute job that's around $20 for the filter, and makes a huge difference to engine power. Take it for a tuneup, including valve adjustment. These things can add 10 mpg to your fuel economy. Clean windows, inside and out, and clean instrument console and clean interior with no rustling, no stains, from the inside it will look like a new car, and when you drive, you won't be thinking about how your life sucks because your car sucks. Your car doesn't suck. It was dirty. That was your fault. One day of your effort takes off 20% of your stress, gone, fixed. This is one of the first things you should fix in your life.
Next is clutter. It makes a small space feel even smaller. If you bump into stuff you can get really manic, and panicked, and miserable. Get rid of the clutter and the space you can afford will feel bigger and some of that panic will evaporate. Sell what you can, rather than pay to keep it in storage. Give away to charity what you can't sell. Toss what charity won't take. Most cities even have free places to get rid of electronics. Do that. If you aren't using it, you don't need it. Once you have less stuff in your living space, you will find a huge sense of relief because you now have space to turn around in. This is a big deal. More than you realize, until you've done it and then you'll understand what I'm talking about.
Clean the rest of your living space, one item at a time, thoroughly. Clean the surface of your TV. Vacuum off your speaker grills. Blow the dust out of your PC. Suddenly stuff that was kinda fritzing out starts working properly, fast like when it was new. This is because dust is an insulator and heat is the enemy of electronics, like dust is the enemy of optics. A clean TV has a sharp picture. There's a lot to be said for Spring Cleaning. Some of that dust might have been making you sneeze or causing you headaches. You might feel better now.
Next thing is your body. Are you getting exercise? Are you getting enough? Instead of joining a gym, look around and see if there are any laborious chores you need to get done. Do those first. Are you tired now? You just saved money by exercising without a gym. I am a huge fan of Audiobooks because I can listen to them while walking, which is serious exercise here in the mountains. I strongly recommend audiobooks because you will exercise for longer periods and not even notice you are doing so because the book distracted you. This is immensely healthy. And online libraries like Library To Go, or your state's equivalent, allows net loans, so you can get them online rather than going to a physical library and borrow CDs, which most libraries have. A surprising number of people don't even have a library card. Weird, since they're being taxed for it. Bring your utility bill or a bank statement to prove residency. They usually require that for a card to be issued. This is massively cheaper than Amazon or bookstores. And you don't need to store the book once you've read it. You do need to actually read it, however. There's a degree of commitment required. Of course, if you listen while you exercise, it is handled soon enough. I know nearly all modern cellphones will do this. But MP3 players are also cheap, and with all the Apple Cultists around, an iPod will also work. So now you're not bored when walking. Win.
Do you own a bicycle? Do you ride it? When was the last time? Walk most days. Ride some days. Getting your bike back into shape is usually a matter of a cheap hand pump for the tires (Walmart or Home Depot), and silicone spray lubricant for the chain. Wipe everything down with a rag first, then wipe off the black crud that oozes out of the chain. If you have to buy a new chain, they sell those at Kmart and Walmart and Amazon. Price shop. Same with tires and inner tubes. When in doubt, buy cheap and durable rather than expensive. After all, you might like cycling and want to upgrade to something fancier or more comfortable.
Can you cook? Try a new recipe. Buy the ingredients cheap and fresh. Find the local discount grocery. Tons of online recipes. Your library will also have lots of cookbooks in the Nonfiction section. Every cuisine you can think of will be there. Learn the tricks, decide if you like the result. Throw a dinner party for friends with what you've learned. It is cheaper than eating out, more fun, and utterly civilized. And you can show off how clean and tidy your place is, since you already did that work. Your friends will reciprocate, inviting you to their places for feasts they've come up with. This is far better than eating out, not just expense but quality and atmosphere too. Lower salt, better booze, no interruptions or noise from impatient and unfriendly waiters. Eventually you can get to the point where you visit the good markets, even the farmers markets, for the local food worth paying that extra bit for. Local delicacies are not to be ignored. Up here we have cherries and apples, for pies and nibbling. Back home in Sonoma County, we had seriously excellent wines and cheeses. What is your local delicacy? What do they make they are famous for? When was the last time you had some?
All these local things you can do, starting with yourself and radiating outwards, are a healthy alternative to worrying about Russia killing off Ukraine, or Iraq becoming the Caliphate of Islamic Terrorism. We can't fix those things. We're only able to fix things close to us. So focus on that, and when it comes time to vote, remember where the happiness is, and where the misery is, and don't confuse the two. Find the local happiness, and make more room for it in your life.
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