Headlines.
They are meant to grab us; to get our attention. Sometimes they are jolting. Other times, they are uplifting. I used to wake up every morning and turn on The Today Show. I liked feeling connected and informed. I would have the news on in the background while I was getting ready for work kind of listening kind of tuning out. When I started having babies, the news was my connection to the outside world. I remember staring at the female anchors with their make-up and hair done thinking, "One day I will be put together again" kind of like Humpty Dumpty. I really liked being in the know.
As the boys got older and more needy, I would watch the first fifteen to thirty minutes of The Today Show. I needed the headlines. I needed to know what was going on outside my front door. My oldest got to the age where he was actually hearing what was on TV and so I had to limit my news exposure. Once I took a step back, I realized how much better I felt when I limited my news consumption. No matter what channel I watched, I always felt a heaviness after I was done. I felt heartbreak, disappointment, shock, disgust, worry, anger, and all out anxiety. I was loaded down with the weight of the atrocities of this world.
"A negative mind will never give you a positive result." Bianca Olthoff
While the news is meant to inform, it leaves many of us feeling more negative than educated. All of a sudden, I start to feel like it is inevitable that my children's elementary school is going to be attacked by a mad gunman, all my rights as a human being are going to be stripped, and now I am putting people in categories they were never meant to be in because the news talks about "those people." Done. Done-zo. And I am out.
I took the news out of my life awhile ago. Well, with the exception of the weather. I live in Texas, people. The weather can change in five minutes. Anyway, I decided I would break-up with the news a bit ago. I just could not handle the noise any longer. I could not carry the unnecessary weight of the worry, stress, and anxiety the news created in me. I also didn't like how the news was beginning to sway me to see different people groups in negative ways. So, I said no more and left that madness.
Let me pause by saying that me not watching the news does not mean that I have done a 180 and am living a life of naivety. Rather, leaving the cable news as my source of information has led me on a path to find news in other outlets leading me to a more well-rounded understanding of what is really happening in the world. I read sources that report from various sides with varying opinions. I am responsible for researching the source of my information instead of trusting those who are more concerned with ratings than facts. I listen to every day people more as well. This has been my favorite part...learning from others lives through their stories. People are awesome.
Breaking up with the news has been one of the best decisions I have made. Life is going to ebb and flow. Leaders will come and go. I will agree with some and despise others. But, I will survive. And when I look out and see the world around me instead of a screen I will see three exceptional little boys who are becoming men far too quickly. I will stare at a handsome man whose starting to go a little grey and that attracts me to him even more and I get the privilege to call him husband. I will be honored with friends who love me so very well even when I don't deserve an ounce. My world is open to seeing the amazing stamina, the beautiful creativity, and the immense love people have for one another regardless of race, culture, or social status. You see, when you turn off the news, you actually get to witness life being lived in all its glory: the good, the bad, the messy, and the grace-filled.
I challenge you to turn it off. Turn off the cable news. Shut down the Facebook news feed. Delete the CNN app from your phone. Silence the news alerts and lift your eyes to see the glorious life that is before you. You will begin taking steps to making the world in front of you a better place for yourself, for your children, for your spouse, and for your community. Your attitude towards people will shift from hatred, prejudice, and despair to empathy, love, and respect. Life is better at 4pm on the other side of that screen. I promise you.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
They are meant to grab us; to get our attention. Sometimes they are jolting. Other times, they are uplifting. I used to wake up every morning and turn on The Today Show. I liked feeling connected and informed. I would have the news on in the background while I was getting ready for work kind of listening kind of tuning out. When I started having babies, the news was my connection to the outside world. I remember staring at the female anchors with their make-up and hair done thinking, "One day I will be put together again" kind of like Humpty Dumpty. I really liked being in the know.
As the boys got older and more needy, I would watch the first fifteen to thirty minutes of The Today Show. I needed the headlines. I needed to know what was going on outside my front door. My oldest got to the age where he was actually hearing what was on TV and so I had to limit my news exposure. Once I took a step back, I realized how much better I felt when I limited my news consumption. No matter what channel I watched, I always felt a heaviness after I was done. I felt heartbreak, disappointment, shock, disgust, worry, anger, and all out anxiety. I was loaded down with the weight of the atrocities of this world.
"A negative mind will never give you a positive result." Bianca Olthoff
While the news is meant to inform, it leaves many of us feeling more negative than educated. All of a sudden, I start to feel like it is inevitable that my children's elementary school is going to be attacked by a mad gunman, all my rights as a human being are going to be stripped, and now I am putting people in categories they were never meant to be in because the news talks about "those people." Done. Done-zo. And I am out.
I took the news out of my life awhile ago. Well, with the exception of the weather. I live in Texas, people. The weather can change in five minutes. Anyway, I decided I would break-up with the news a bit ago. I just could not handle the noise any longer. I could not carry the unnecessary weight of the worry, stress, and anxiety the news created in me. I also didn't like how the news was beginning to sway me to see different people groups in negative ways. So, I said no more and left that madness.
Let me pause by saying that me not watching the news does not mean that I have done a 180 and am living a life of naivety. Rather, leaving the cable news as my source of information has led me on a path to find news in other outlets leading me to a more well-rounded understanding of what is really happening in the world. I read sources that report from various sides with varying opinions. I am responsible for researching the source of my information instead of trusting those who are more concerned with ratings than facts. I listen to every day people more as well. This has been my favorite part...learning from others lives through their stories. People are awesome.
Breaking up with the news has been one of the best decisions I have made. Life is going to ebb and flow. Leaders will come and go. I will agree with some and despise others. But, I will survive. And when I look out and see the world around me instead of a screen I will see three exceptional little boys who are becoming men far too quickly. I will stare at a handsome man whose starting to go a little grey and that attracts me to him even more and I get the privilege to call him husband. I will be honored with friends who love me so very well even when I don't deserve an ounce. My world is open to seeing the amazing stamina, the beautiful creativity, and the immense love people have for one another regardless of race, culture, or social status. You see, when you turn off the news, you actually get to witness life being lived in all its glory: the good, the bad, the messy, and the grace-filled.
I challenge you to turn it off. Turn off the cable news. Shut down the Facebook news feed. Delete the CNN app from your phone. Silence the news alerts and lift your eyes to see the glorious life that is before you. You will begin taking steps to making the world in front of you a better place for yourself, for your children, for your spouse, and for your community. Your attitude towards people will shift from hatred, prejudice, and despair to empathy, love, and respect. Life is better at 4pm on the other side of that screen. I promise you.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
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