In extraordinary, overwhelming times, it is more important than ever not to lose sight of what truly matters.
“Stop trying to make sense of the crazy. None of it makes sense if you care about the suffering of others.”
These words were posted by my lovely US-based friend Heather Bussing to LinkedIn in mid-February 2025. Interrupting her usual flow of daily wisdom on the world of employment law and HR, Heather here considers the overwhelming personal impact of the overwhelming pace of events since the start of Trump’s second presidential term. The tables have been turned, a different era is upon us. Feelings of powerlessness and futility might be a natural reaction for many souls, whether in the US or around the world. In the face of this, Heather shares some beautiful and succinct words to remind us of what truly matters:
“Don’t change your mind. Truth, compassion and integrity matter. So do small acts of kindness.”
Amen.
Work hard, be kind
There must be something in the air. What Heather had to say here put me in mind of some other striking words I chanced upon recently. Speaking on Gyles Brandreth’s Rosebud podcast, last month, Mark Gatiss shared his own personal take on what life might be all about:
“I’m very wary of sounding platitudinous. But the meaning of life is work hard, be kind. I think that is it. That’s what I’ve learnt.”
Gatiss explains the thinking behind these two elements (work and kindness), starting with a consideration of the work part and how it might be transformed or even threatened by the rise of AI*. He says:
“The work part is very important. The dignity of labour is just a thing. It is. I genuinely don’t understand why we are barrelling towards a future where people don’t do anything, ‘cos it’ll kill us. ‘Course it will. If AI does anything, it should be to take away the boring stuff. But the idea of it taking away creativity… What on earth would we do? We literally would wither inside. So the work part is very important. And the kindness is even more important. I really believe that. All you can try to do is to be nice to people, to be good to people. Not pointlessly nice. But as Paul Eddington said: ‘Do no harm.’ Don’t be a pushover, but just don’t be a twat.”
At the risk of being repetitive, amen.
In extraordinary, overwhelming times, it is more important than ever not to lose sight of what truly matters.
I would like to finish here by quoting the closing words of Heather’s post, which provide a model of how we can each of us approach each day in this current maelstrom:
“Take care of yourself and do something kind. What’s happening is really not okay, but we can be. Don’t let anyone have your equanimity and joy.”
May you be nothing but kind today, to others and to yourself.
May today be nothing but kind to you and yours.
FOOTNOTES
* I presume that these words from Gatiss were recorded prior to Trump’s return to power on 20 January 2025, but they feel all the more timely given the “AI-first strategy” that looks likely to become a guiding force of his second administration.
IMAGE
- Theodore earl butler statue of liberty ny in mist023912) via Wikimedia Commons.
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