I don’t watch the news at home. And at the gym this morning, it’s my own fault that I chose a cardio machine smack-dab in front of CNN. There’s something compelling about TV: I look at it whether I want to or not. The sound was off, and I managed to stop reading the subtitles after seeing murder and weather mayhem.
The news can be a good source of conversation topics, but sometimes it’s brain sugar or worse: rat poison. Physically and emotionally, we’d be better off focusing on uplifting messages, especially in tough economic times and extra-especially when we can’t do a damned thing about Wall Street and the AIG bonuses. Our blood pressure skyrockets, so what’s the point? To paraphrase:
Watching bad news is like swallowing rat poison and expecting the rat to die.
I propose that Ted Turner start a 24-hour Good News Channel. Ted? Can you hear me? I want to hear about the schools that are succeeding in teaching kids to read, do math, and think creatively. Tell me about the program in Africa that reduces deaths from malaria. Show me how micro-loans are lifting South American families out of poverty . That’s a conversation I want to listen to and be part of!
Until that happens, you can subscribe to a daily dose of upliftment for free. My friend Gloria Wendroff puts out HeavenLetters. Today’s message, "The Earth Is Your Garden," is especially relevant in troubling times. Here’s part of it:
What part of the world would not blush with joy at a kind thought of yours?
The snows of Alaska do not have to please you to a T nor do desert lands, yet there is nothing, beloveds, that you cannot find in your heart to appreciate.
The same goes for people, and the same goes for you. The more down-in-the-mouth you are, the more you will benefit from uplifting words from yourself. Give yourself some sweet talk. You will feel better. You can say an uplifting word to others, and you and they will feel better. What better way for you to uplift yourself than to uplift another?
You can read it all here: The Earth Is Your Garden
Please comment on Gloria’s post: tell her Tracey sent you.
Tags: HeavenLetters