News can serve our purpose or distract us from it.
News can help us to understand the pulse of the world and adjust our motivations for accomplishing what has meaning for us. News can instill in us caring and compassion for others.
Or news can undermine our motivations, feeding our lowest instincts for sensationalism. News can be addictive, preventing us from doing what we want and have to do. News can reinforce our bubble of beliefs, therefore, separating us from others even more.
It’s a matter of finding the middle way – our internal balance- the right media with the right amount of information, the right intention and the right action.
For me, the intention is to be as close as possible to reality, good or bad, so that I can equally appreciate the suffering and the joy of the world – with an increased sense of agency.
Reflective questions: How do you follow the news? When? Do you have a routine? Is it random? Do you under-inform yourself? Over-inform? Which media gives you energy and inspires you? Which ones drain you?
Excellent post and reflection… “finding the middle way”. Finding thoughtful more peaceful balance and trying to be open in a world of more and more polarized negative 24/7 “news” blitz. Hard.
Excellent post and reflection… “finding the middle way”. Finding thoughtful more peaceful balance and trying to be open in a world of more and more polarized negative 24/7 “news” blitz. Hard.
Thanks Rick for your comment. Not feeding the polarization is really in my mind these days… not easy!
Thanks for the wisdom, Carole! We can use this, I mean, take it to heart!
Yes, thanks for sharing this Carole. I find that I need to stay away from television, and in particular, cable news. I read a lot of news but somehow, it allows me to stay informed without completely depleting all of my energy. There is something about the sound and visuals to cable news that just stays with me, particularly the images and voices of some of our elected officials, in ways that I cannot turn off. By reading the news I have found my middle way!
Thanks for sharing your experience Lissette! I really echo it! Reading, these days, takes me a lot of focus and since I don’t have a lot of time, I have to discern what I’m reading… my middle way too!