One night I was watching the evening news and noticed my stomach was upset and my jaw was tight and I thought watching this is unhealthy for my body, hurtful to my heart and harmful to my peace of mind. I am done.
First - I don’t mean to “should” on you. We all have too much of “you should do this or that,” going on inside of our own minds.
Second - You can get your news online. You don’t have to be bombarded by sensationalism, the apparent agenda of fear, or be subjected to the endless ego-driven opinion of so-called experts.
Why not take a positive step today and begin, a-television-news-fast?” You will lose weight immediately as you drop the heaviness of this skewed view of the world.
Do you ever wonder why news is almost totally focused on murder, crime and what is wrong about our society? In truth most people are generally kind, thoughtful and friendly. The world functions much better than we are lead to believe. Why does it seem that we are all sold “reasons to live in fear” almost non-stop? What’s your experience?
If peace of mind matters to you then you need to take charge of your own inner programming. That programming includes being mindful of what you let in and what you consider in your pursuit of your personal truth.
No one can really say what you should think or feel. No one knows what is best for you. No one can tell you what your truth is.
There are many however that think you should think the way they do. You can’t because you are not them, nor would you want to be. Truth comes from sensing your own heart and listening to the wisdom of what is infinite and eternal inside.
This inner search takes time and effort but it brings many gifts to your experience of life.
Truth is personal. Religions and political points of view are not. They provide a framework but lack the depth of understanding you can only discover on your own. Much of the use of labeling others as Christian, Catholic, Jew, Conservative, Liberal, Tea Party etc is more a way of type casting people and often marginalizing them. There is no truth in this labeling process; in fact truth is most often lost in generalizations, dogmas and doctrines.
You are in charge of your own mind, your thoughts, and your beliefs. Why would you want to pollute it with the ego-opinion of others?
Instead go in search of what matters to you, what gives you a sense of meaning. There are so many books and recordings that will invite your own growth in awareness and self-realization. (See my Books That Expand Your Mind list, in the right column of this blog, for my recommendations)
These times call for you to be awake, to live according to your truth, to stretch your mind, to further explore the compassionate expression of your heart. You have so much to offer which you have yet discovered or still in the process of fully expressing. Your light (heart and awareness) does make a difference. Why not commit to growing your light and spreading your insights out into the world to benefit us all?
Six effective ways to brighten your light:
1. Listen to the call of your heart – be loving, kind and compassionate as much as you can each day. It will feel so good and those benefiting will love your loving ways.
2. Bring your mind into inner peace – quieting your mind transforms the chaos and noise into a river of stillness. Through this inner peacefulness you spread peace out into the world.
3. Let yourself be guided by your soul – allow the wisdom of this part of you that is infinite and eternal to show you how to express your highest nature. With your soul’s guidance in charge you can do anything that matters to you.
4. Actively pursue your growth - Read or listen to books that call you to a higher version of what is possible within – the resources available are so wonderfully abundant. SoundsTrue.com is my favorite resource for books and programs that enlighten.
5. Express you body wisdom – explore yoga, tai chi, qi gong, martial arts, dance, exercise, walking meditation and many other ways to be more fully present in your body.
6. Be fully alive emotionally – feel what you feel, be okay with all the energy of your emotions. When you freely feel, you open yourself to a great flow of life force energy.
Meditation and mindfulness are wonderful practices for encouraging these six explorations above. They are also a great substitute for the time spent watching the news in case you don’t know what to do.
One last thought, fear is a very powerful force in the world and inside of you. If you let fear run your life it will. Fear has run humanity for far too long.
Fear is the opposite of love. Fear is just a false thought that often fills the void where love is missing. If you are feeling fear change your thoughts. Instead focus on love - on those you love, or on what you love to do. Love is a great fear dissolver.
May your day be filled with many wonderful moments of light, love, joy, insight, healing, freedom and peace.