When I don’t judge others for their outward style, I tend to inform my perception with their actual substance. And strangely enough, they seem to do the same to me. After the static of insecurity, blame, and disdain have faded away to a sufficient degree, I suspect an authentic interaction begins to arise.

In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with feeling good, even in the middle of societally certified disheartening conditions.

Sure, I assign responsibility and obligation in response to actions, but I firmly believe I get to feel however I want, regardless of what’s happening. (This may invite cliché ridicule and negative rationale, which is why I typically keep it to myself.)

In my experience, the path to betterment has often taken form as a dangling thread. Once you tug on it, more threads will follow, and you can weave together a thickening rope. Then the way upward becomes all too apparent.

For me, the way forward has often involved a sideways stumble into unrelated territory—or so it seemed at the time.

But as the years passed, I began using the knowledge gained from these detours, and I realized I had been blazing a trail for future use. So now, it’s easier to hold off on frustration and keep the faith (I prefer the word “trust,” because to me that’s a more personalized state of mind).

I’ve often been “lost,” only to find that it was connected to a path that led to greater rewards.

The first thing I try and control is acceptance of my circumstances. Upon that acceptance, I clarify my ability to perceive where I am, what I have to work with, and where to go from here.

For me, control of my conditions springs from sharpening my perspective, which springs from allowance of acceptance. I’m not sure how it works for others, but for me it starts with acceptance.

Many times I have attained a desire, but it fell short of how I thought it would make me feel. So instead of denying a desire or clawing my way toward its materialization, I try and focus on the feeling I’d want if I attained that desire.

Through that feeling, I get the essence of what I wanted, if not the materialization. Ironically, the material things I had wanted—or something even better—seem to follow. You can attribute that to magic or psychology or a mixture of both, but I’m not interested in arguing about something that indeterminable. I just go with the cliché and try for positivity.

In my opinion, stumbling towards a desired destination is far better than refusing to move for fear of stumbling onto the wrong path.

Because as I stumble, I can use my momentum and gained knowledge to chart a better course. Also, with the right perspective, it can be fun getting lost.

People may have a claim to your actions, but I believe no one has a claim to your thoughts or feelings. Perhaps you owe money for a service or good, but you aren’t obligated to feel guilty or worthless because you made a mistake or someone is suffering more than you. I believe it’s your right to feel happy or upbeat under the worst of circumstances, no matter how much society may frown on it. It’s probably practical not to express it, but you get to think and feel however you want to think and feel.

But then again, those are just my thoughts and feelings on the matter.

The search for meaning becomes increasingly meaningless within giant engines of socioeconomic change, which are temporary blips on a tiny planet in a vast galaxy in the probable infinity of the universe and beyond.

However, while I may not be able to capture it in words and structures, meaning becomes viscerally apparent when I enjoy the mystery and appreciate what’s around me.

I would rather be a cautionary tale born from pursuit of betterment, than a cautionary tale born from lack of audacity. I don’t want to age into a fretful shadow, haunted by regret and emaciated dreams.