Thought Project With Ashley Rothstein

The earth & it’s inhabitants are hurting. What can I/we do?   I am guilty of choosing to look away when it comes to many serious issues the world is facing. The roots and structure of these complicated problems are confusing to process. Brainstorming solutions seems even harder. I don’t usually know what to do or how to help. When I try to visualize potential solutions, my mind starts buzzing and bouncing around all over the place in a seemingly never-ending loop of ‘problem > potential solution > different problem that solution would bring > potential solution for that problem that leads to a different problem > and on.’ My body becomes hot with emotions like sadness, anger, confusion, and empathy. I hate when I don’t know how to fix something. When I feel helpless, it’s easy for me to get engulfed in these powerful emotions, so I’ve learned to look away and shut myself off to paths that lead to these intense feelings. I don’t necessarily like this about myself, but its a defense mechanism. It feels easi