I’ll get to some reasons the ‘24 election went the way it did in future posts. First, I offer more self-care. If you have not yet read the first article on self-care, scroll down this page. The articles are in reverse chronological order.
I read of a study in which people were asked to walk down the sidewalk, enter a coffee house, and get a drink. The subjects were not told that some money had been placed on the sidewalk (I don’t remember if it was $5 or $20) and that there was someone in the coffee house who would be a good contact for business networking.
Before getting these instructions, the subjects had been asked whether they considered themselves optimists or pessimists. When they proceeded to the coffee house, the optimists noticed the money and picked it up. They also noticed the person in the coffee house and started a conversation. The pessimists, however, didn’t notice the money. They walked right past it. Nor did they notice the business contact in the coffee house.
When we focus on positive things, we will notice more good things in our lives and attract them to us. When we focus on negative things, we are less likely to notice the good things in our lives and even attract negativity.
Where does that leave us with respect to news consumption? I don’t watch any 24-hour TV news channels. They immerse people in bad news. They repeat the bad news over and over. They bombard one with programming that is not actual news reporting, but rather, so-called “pundits” talking about the news.
People get addicted to 24 hour news. I gave up on using the gym in my apartment complex because, if someone gets in there before me, chances are they will tune the TV to a 24-hour news channel. They are so addicted that it’s not enough to watch 24 hour news on their own televisions at home. They have to watch while working out.
Humans seem to gravitate toward bad news. But why?
This instinct evolved when bad news meant that the sabertooth cat was creeping up behind your friend or that a rival tribe was marching toward your settlement, shouting and brandishing their clubs. In our times, this instinct often works against us.
TV engages our senses in many ways—sight, sound and movement. Color images, as opposed to black and white. The more our senses are engaged, the more the news affects our emotions and even physical reactions.
I have found a way to read news, and believe it or not, it takes much less time than watching TV. Plus, it gives me more nuanced information. I subscribe to e-newsletters. (If you don’t take in information well by reading, I have suggestions for you below.)
I subscribe to several newsletters from Axios They have a morning newsletter, an evening newsletter and a later night newsletter that helps one end the day on a reflective, positive note. Axios also publishes local newsletters in some major cities, including here in Houston.
Axios’ philosophy is “smart brevity.” At the beginning of each newsletter, they tell you how many minutes it will take you to read it. Often, this is less than 10 minutes. They also give another side to each story.
What’s even better for me is that I don’t even have to read the entire Axios newsletter. There are sub headings for the various topics covered. So I can scroll right past ones that don’t interest me.
I’m doing a lot of self care these days, and for now, when the main newsletter headline includes the word “Trump,” I delete that email. I want news that might have some effect on what I do.
I don’t need to know who his cabinet members will be. I don’t need to know who secretly voted for him. Such details won’t change what I do.
I also subscribe to The Poynter Institute’s fact-checking arm, Politifact. Politifact does not simply rate things true or false. They have a scale: True, Mostly true, Partly true, Requires context, Partly false, Mostly false, False, and Pants on fire. Moreover, they explain the reasons for their ratings.
Now how about those of you who do not learn well by reading? You might be a visual learner. You may be a manual-kinesthetic learner, who learns by physical action, or when you can’t do the action yourself, watching action, such as on a video. You might learn better by watching television, but avoid the 24-hour channels.
For CBS, ABC, NBC and PBS, news represents only a small part of their programming. They want people who watch their news to stay with their channel and watch other shows. So they are less likely to air biased statements.
I tuned in to CBS when there was major breaking news, the attack on the US Capitol in January, 2021. This was like an attack by a rival tribe in prehistoric times. I felt a practical need to know what would happen..
CBS had preempted all their regular programming and gone to round the clock live coverage of that event. They didn’t stop until the people had left the Capitol grounds. I later learned that one 24 hour channel had not even covered the entirety of the attack. Rather, they under-reported it.
Finally, let’s return to inviting positivity into your life. I begin every day by visiting the Good News Network. They only publish upbeat stories.
Before bedtime, I like to watch humorous programs, like Shakespeare and Hathaway (on BritBox), or those with happy endings, like A Christmas Carol. I also enjoy playing games late at night, but not the fast paced action games the young people like so much. I prefer games like spider solitaire.
Here’s a link to A couple of lovely calming music videos and one meditative chant. Be patient. It might take a few seconds before the link to “Watch” appears and also a few seconds for the program to move from one little video to the next.
Till next time, wishing you peace and sweet dreams.