I sometimes wonder why people are so afraid. Mothers are terrified of their children being kidnapped. People are arming their homes with security bars, alarms and guns to protect themselves. No one trusts anyone anymore. That may be an exaggeration, but I’m not so sure. The fear factor is so pervasive. People are scared to death and are reacting and living their lives out of fear. I understand wanting to be safe, but there’s a difference between being safe and being inundated with way too much information about all the terrible events occurring in our world — especially in our communities.
I think a huge contributing factor is so many people are watching the news on TV and online. News coverage is almost exclusively negative. It’s redundant and it often has no value except to create fear and hopelessness in the viewer/reader. It affects my thinking, and I wonder if it affects yours, too?
Frequently, the negative and sensationalized information given is repetitive, exaggerated and incomplete. The media will do whatever it takes to get the highest ratings, so they go after the most shocking stories — even at the expense of invading our personal privacy. Have you ever heard of the old news adage, “If it bleeds it leads”?
After so many years, it’s no surprise people have become increasingly more fearful and negative; not only in their thinking, but also in their language, attitudes and actions in life.
I come from a family that always watched the 10 o’clock news before bedtime. Many years ago, I chose to stop watching the nightly news, ending the pattern of taking all the violence, fear and negativity to bed with me. Think about what you’re putting into your consciousness: war, terrorist attacks, shootings, kidnappings, murders, arson and other horrifying news. A perfect set-up for some bad dreams.
As a culture, we’ve developed this addiction for the need to know what’s going on at all times. We’ve come to believe that the only things going on in the world is what’s being shown to us on the news. Are you one of those people who immediately turns on the news in the morning? If so, you may be hooked into an old habitual pattern of putting fear and negativity into your consciousness. Why not create a different state of mind by turning off the news and tuning in to something more positive and life affirming? I know there are many uplifting news-worthy events happening in the world, yet most of these go unreported by the main stream media.
You have the ability to change anything in your life. You don’t have to be a sheep and follow the herd. Why not wake up every day and go to sleep every night looking for and focusing on the good news? If you’re wondering where you might tune in to some of this good news, there are some great websites that write wonderful, positive news articles. Check out: GoodNewsNetwork.org, HappyNews.com or GlobalGoodNews.com.
The singer Anne Murray said it so aptly: “We sure could use a little good news today.” Truly there is good news going on in the world every day. You just have to look for it. It’s out there. So go find it. And when you do, focus on it. By making this conscious choice, you may notice a change in your attitudes and actions in your life.
Click here to see more posts on MeaningfulWomen.com by Isadora Dahlen.
Isadora Dahlen is a writer, educator, coach and champion for women’s empowerment. She resides in Scottsdale, AZ with her husband, Alan. You can follow her on her blog, StrongWomenBlog.com, and on Twitter (@IsadoraDahlen).
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