Tag: optimism

What if the Sky is not Falling.

What if the sky was not falling? What if all the hysterical calls for the end of everything was a bid for ratings, views, clicks, likes … Well, it is, because most news media has to fight the most popular shows to get ratings and add revenue. It’s not the fault of the news media that more of us will click, or pause, or tune in for an alarmist, negative headline than for something positive. It started there with journalists having to fight for ratings, but then the internet happened. A place where every rumor can be repeated and become fact, even if the initial post was meant to be a joke, or sarcasm. Anything repeated often enough and loud enough must be true, right? But the internet is fighting for attention, too, and we are all more likely to tune in, click through, read a story that is dramatic and frightening, or sad. I do it, too. In fact I’ve started feeling so overwhelmed by all the ecological disasters that it felt like why bother to try and save anything the world is dying and we’re dying with it. But is it and are we?

What if things aren’t as bad as our internet feed makes it seem? What if there is a lot more Hope than most news sources can share without their ratings taking a hit?

Let’s start with the Amazon and the fires. First, most of the pictures online aren’t even of those fires? Why? Because the actual fire pictures weren’t dramatic enough to catch our attention, so someone grabbed a picture of the California forest fires, or fires in other parts the world. I don’t believe it was done maliciously, but one forest fire is like another, right? And it’s the kind of image that makes people pay attention. They were right about that, but here’s an article explaining why the picture that’s being shared most is one that’s already put out and in a different part of the world. Let a leading expert on the rain forests share some hope with you, because I know I needed some.

Listening to the Silence

   It’s 11:00 in the morning and I have no writing done. I’m on deadline and I have no writing done. This is usually my cue to beat myself up emotionally which feeds all sorts of issues which if fed enough will trigger the chorus line of personal demons that I think most of us have in our heads. Once that chorus begins to chant their negative messages and dance their little dance not only is writing unlikely to happen today, but my day will be wrecked. I will be wrecked emotionally and it just goes downhill from there.
   Often when I’m behind in my morning routine for work I try to hit the writing hard and make up for lost time, sometimes that works, but not when my head has already started going dark. On days like that I’ve learned that I need to do one of two things, maybe both, get on the treadmill and walk off the black mood, and/or mediate. I light a candle and try to focus not on the stressful morning, or all the things that are feeding the bad day, but on listening to that still, small voice that we all have inside us. The voice of our good angels, our totems, our spirit guides, that little slice of God/Goddess that is there to help us if we take the time to listen. It’s hard when most days are so rushed, but I’ve learned that if I can take even a few moments to stand outside in the sun, or hug a tree, or do anything that helps me be still and truly listen, that there will be comfort, or wisdom, or I’ll think of something I didn’t think of before that helps. Think about how powerful that is, that inside each of us is a spark of the Divine that will guide us, teach us, steady us, and it is always there, if we enter the silence and listen for it. (For all you atheists out there, you have it too, maybe you call it consciences, or inner knowing, but it’s there.)
   I came away from meditation with this thought, “That there has to be chaos before there can be order. Sometimes you need that bad relationship in order to learn the lessons needed to have that wonderful relationship next time. Sometimes you lose an opportunity, because a better one is waiting for you. You make a mistake that turns out to be exactly what you needed to solve a major problem in your life/job/family/romance. A frustrating morning can lead to a life lesson that helps you find your way to a better afternoon, and to happier days in general.”
If I can hold onto this lesson, I’ve already put it in my journal, and I’m typing it here, then perhaps I won’t let the negative things drowned out the positive things, which I have a tendency to do.
   I meditated and then I allowed myself to sit in the big, comfy leather chair in my office, cuddle with one of my dogs, sip tea and read from the book I’d almost finished. It reminded me that life isn’t all about the rushing around and accomplishing goals, it’s also about working hard so you can have the time to enjoy the things that make you happy. Now, I feel ready to start on that second bottle of water of the day, and get back to working on the story that is due. I have hope that I’ll get through the majority of it today, which is a lot better attitude than I had before I took a few minutes to be still and listen.