A Facebook friend asked the following question in a post on his timeline:
How are YOU maintaining a positive perspective?
This is how I responded:
Not easy, but these help: limiting my intake of news; listening to uplifting music; singing; walking; meditating.
Not even an hour later I happened across this cartoon, which absolutely nails it! This is exactly the challenge that I feel so many of us are facing.
But I’m realizing that I can’t simply ignore the news altogether. True, I need to stop reading it with the goal of “making sense” of things; I mean, that way lies madness!
So, yes, I have to do my best to sort through the false, sensationalist, crazy-making narratives. And then I have to choose carefully which articles to read, being prepared to stop as soon as I feel my energy plunge or if I start to get upset or depressed or sunk in negativity. Because I can’t be part of the solution if I’m upset, depressed, and negative!
But you know, I think the main reason why I still need to read some news is a matter of solidarity. I don’t want to cut myself off from what’s going on. Sure, I have to honor the limits of my tolerance for violence and despair, but I need to tune in enough to feel connected with the rest of humanity as we move through these unprecedented times…together.
Nicely stated, Bhagavati! As far as “outside” news (i.e. other than Ananda website feeds) I get a daily NYT summary, and that’s about enough for me. I skim more quickly if I find it’s too negative. But I don’t read Facebook too much, etc.
Yes, I also have been getting the NYT summary newsletter, which is usually good enough, although I will occasionally click through the read more. But Facebook is the real danger zone; I want to read what friends are sharing but it can be SUCH a black hole…!