Content...............................

     Someone asked me, "Aren't you worried about the state of the world?"  I allowed myself to breathe and then I said, "What is most important is not to allow your anxiety about what happens in the world to fill your heart.  If your heart is filled with anxiety, you will get sick, and you will not be able to help."  There are wars - big and small - in many places, and that can cause us to lose our peace.  Anxiety is the illness of our age.  We worry about ourselves, our family, our friends, our work, and the state of the world.  If we allow worry to fill our hearts, sooner or later we will get sick.
     Yes, there is tremendous suffering all over the world, but knowing this need not paralyze us.  If we practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, mindful sitting, and working in mindfulness, we can try our best to help, and we can have peace in our heart.  Worrying does not accomplish anything.  Even if you worry twenty times more, it will not change the situation of the world.  In fact, your anxiety will only make things worse.  Even though things are not as we would like, we can still be content, knowing we are trying our best and will continue to do so.  If we don't know how to breath, smile, and live every moment of our life deeply, we will never be able to help anyone.  I am happy in the present moment.   I do not ask for anything else.  I do not expect additional happiness or conditions that will bring about more happiness.  The most important practice is aimlessness, not running after things, not grasping.

-Thich Nhat Hanh,  The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching:  Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation