A New Kind of News
A New Kind of News
Does watching the news REALLY help you deal with the world better? If you take the fear component out of the equation (“I’m afraid if I don’t know, something bad will happen to me.”), do you feel better hearing all of the negative, nasty, and horrible things in the world? Does knowing all of these things make a positive difference in what you do on a daily basis? Does it make your life better?
Being informed about what is happening around you and in the community where you live can be helpful to your day-to-day functioning. But hearing about horrible things happening on the other side of the world, devastation in cities across the country and in remote locations where you will never visit – does that really help you be a better, happier person? Perhaps, but being actively involved in the community closest to you CAN make a difference. A difference not just in your life but in the others that you see and pass on the street. The sad truth is that most people feel better about donating and sending money to things that happen outside of their immediate area rather than reaching out and offering a helping hand to a neighbor or person in their community.
How do you break the addiction of watching the “news?” How do you stop “feeding the fear” that most news broadcasts love to spoon feed to you?
How about taking those feelings of anger, frustration, fear and even hate and replacing them with happiness, compassion, joy and love? I challenge you to turn off the news for one week and fill that time with things that help you cultivate positive emotions. Look for a “new kind of news” and see how you feel.
To get you started, put this website in your browser and check it daily instead of CNN or FoxNews.
http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
Each day ask yourself “what have I done today to make a positive difference on the life of another being?” When making a change, it helps to surround yourself with others that are doing the same. This Good News Network has some really great stories of people making a positive difference in this world. Hopefully they will inspire you to do the same.
If you are still unsure of where to start, try this simple act of kindness. If you see someone really struggling, don’t re-enforce their troubles by telling them “yes, that’s really bad” and “0h, how horrible.” Reach out and give them a good, solid hug. Without words, hugging helps people realize they are not alone and that you care about their troubles.
Hugs are free!
