But statistics tell us that cancer diagnoses have less successful outcomes the older we get and at 75, the King is just five years off the age when survival rates are at their lowest. Of course, everyone wants King Charles III to make a full recovery - even the Australian Republican Movement sent well wishes - and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's comment that the cancer has been "caught early" is very welcome news. Whatever happens next, the consequences are significant in both the short and long term. And, importantly, remember to keep calm and carry on.While Buckingham Palace trying to play down the King's cancer diagnosis - their opaque version of transparency revealed the health issue, but not the type of cancer nor the required treatment - there is a flaw in the royal "keep calm and carry on" credo. Challenges come, and we have somehow overcome them, all of history points to that. Be happy that you are part of this story that we are all characters in. The human condition is defined by overcoming challenges and moving forward, despite everything, ourselves included, standing in that way. Nothing may ever be the same, but that is fine. It is very likely that how you engage with these supports may change, but keep whatever is possible, and learn how to let go of, or adapt the other things in one’s life. I do not know what carries you through hardship, but find what it is and lean upon it. What forms these may take is entirely individual for some, it may be an ideology, or religious background, or dependence on family or an artistic outlet. Having stable totems/guideposts in one’s life is often beneficial, and can help stabilize change. The differences in individual reactions to these changes will be what distinguishes those who come out thriving from these times. Some changes are most likely inevitable, but your outlook on these changes is in your hands. Given this highly uncertain reality, how do you carry on? One approach is denial, but given how unlikely that is to benefit oneself, or your community, I recommend against this. Stores have closed, we continually hear about further restrictions that we need to be following, and it seems likely that this will last significantly longer than initially predicted. This brings us to the second half of this motto: how do you carry on. While I do want to acknowledge that is is important and healthy to have a certain level of reactive stress to situations, I would encourage you, when possible: stop, breathe in deeply and remain calm. Considering how individual actions and outlooks can rally and amplify, it can lead to beneficial situations, like a collective response to a natural disaster or it can spiral out of hand and into the types of chaos we recently encountered. One that we are just now starting to recover from. Thankfully, while we have not witnessed rushes on our banks, look at the ways panic buying of toiletries compounded by hysteria on social media created an atmosphere of dread. But, it is crucial to keep track of one’s response to the situation also. During a crisis, we expect cool and level-headed responses from those in charge, which they should be able to provide. When chaos surrounds yourself, and there is uncertainty about everything, being able to remain calm is pivotal. While the British government may have been able to spread this message out before the war properly began, in comparison to where we currently find ourselves, in the thick of the chaos, I would argue that value still is found in breaking down this motto. As such, I wanted to look back upon some of the mottos that have bolstered societies’ morale throughout previous hardships. These times can and do very often seem overwhelming, from the uncertainty over finances to the never-ending deluge of negative news. While I am happy that North America’s obsession over all things British has somewhat subsided, excluding Mini Coopers, I do hope to see this message gain popularity once again. Go back just a few years, and it seems everywhere you looked, there would be some new product emblazoned with the wartime slogan: Keep Calm and Carry On.
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