Every spectrum of experience is being played out and the popular media, newspaper, television, news bulletins and magazines, report this 'news,' they bring to our attention a small part of this spectrum.
Most of what is reported is either negative and fear inducing, or a not so subtle programming of us the general population. This constant reportage of negativity affects the psyche. It is in fact psychic pollution.
If we, as sensitive beings are constantly bombarded by these things that the media deem newsworthy, we are put in the position of passive observers, in the most part unable to do anything about the atrocities shown and it affects us and we begin to shut down .
What good does observing this do? Does it help in any way? Or does it just serve to reinforce pessimism and general malaise?
Do the airbrushed images of mock perfection in magazines help young people develop self worth?Do the screaming headlines in the trashy but very popular magazines on every supermarket shelf telling us which celebrity has spots or cellulite contribute to our well being?
At every moment, as well as people being hurt or killed, there are people falling in love and new life being born.
As well as war and atrocity there is deep peace and genuine compassion.
For all the talk of lack and depression, there is growth and abundance.
For everything fake and manufactured there are thing of real innate beauty.
It is easy to get caught up in believing that the reported world, the TV world, the things in magazines and shops, are the reality of our life.
What is really going on, is that we, humankind, are one of the species alive right here, right now, on this beautiful planet we call the Earth.
It is spinning in space, warmed by a giant burning star we call the Sun and orbited by our satellite the Moon.
There are glorious forests of green trees, enormous deep oceans ebbing and flowing, magnificent winds blowing around our planet, rain falling and watering the myriad of growing things upon its surface.
There is beauty and life, real life, going on everywhere. It is what we are, what we are a part of, what modern society has wooed us away from, with its artificial quick fixes that feed the hunger that develops inside a man or woman who has wandered so far away from their true 'nature'.
It is in this 'real' world, the natural world of which we are a part, that strength and inner peace can be found. A connection to nature will connect us to our own nature, to our instincts, to our sense of belonging, to this 'whole' of which we are a part.
We have a choice in every moment where our attention will be placed and focused, and what energy we are adding our weight to on this seesaw of life.
Do we observe and add to the worry, pessimism and despair engendered by the popular media?
Or do we choose to turn it off and look at the beauty that is everywhere?
We have a choice, which will we choose to observe today?
What we see depends mainly on what we look for. - John Lubbock
- Susannah Bec 2009
5 comments:
I choose to turn it off, although I must admit to having a peek now and then. :)
Thanks for the uplifting message.
Great advice...we always have the choice to control our own experience, to decide what emotions to focus on. One of my daily contemplations is to ask myself what emotions I want to dwell on that day, as that will determine the quality of my life. What's wrong with the world is always available...but so is what's right.
Lovely post. I've found over the last year or so I watch less and less news and rarely pick up a newspaper. I think it is easy to feel that the world has become a terrible place with all the negativity that can be fed to us. I would rather remember the smile on someone's face or an inspiring blog post or the feeling of sunshine on my skin. And that's the third time today I've been reminded to think of the whole instead of the part so thanks :-)
Thanks everyone. :-)
I agree Leah that it is easy to start believing that the world is a terrible place with all the negativity being constantly fed to us and as Oriana says "What's wrong with the world is always available...but so is what's right"
I like to imagine, what if there was no media and we just responded to what was in our own personal reality, in our day to day life? Would that change how we felt about the 'state of the World'? I'm sure in most cases it would.
Anyway, thanks everyone for dropping by and for your comments :-).
Very well said. And for what it's worth, I completely agree! Have been television-free since April, and now I've noticed I've developed an aversion to checking the headlines online every day. Funny how even if you "unplug" from mass media the world still keeps turning :)
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