Can we, please, blockade the news!?
We seem to be in the midst of a veritable storm of news events. Blockades. Coronavirus. American political intrigue. Canadian political intrigue. Same old, same old, every night!
Sometimes it intrigues me. Sometimes it infuriates me. Sometimes it scares me. Sometimes I even laugh at the strangeness of the events—or their interpretation.
Thank goodness the Australian fires are out, or we’d have a nightly dose of that yet, too. And the
Iranian plane debacle has receded into ancient history (not for the families involved, but for the news editors).
Enough, already! I say. I just want to turn off the TV.
But I can’t!
I’m drawn—compelled—to check out the latest developments in these stories. Why? I ask myself.
Is it morbid curiosity? There’s certainly nothing I can personally do to affect any of these events. And will they affect my life?
And then we get the David Ayres “feel good” story. Seriously? A 42-year-old Zamboni driver, called into action because both Carolina goalies go down with injuries in the same game, gets an NHL win? Against the Leafs? In Toronto? (Doesn’t that feel good to us out West!)
Next couple of days he’s on all the big talk shows across North America. The state governor makes him an “honorary North Carolinian.” Tuesday was declared David Ayres Day in Raleigh.
I’m drawn to that, too.
I’ll bet the Leafs are the ones yelling “Turn that damn TV off!”
In the midst of all this, watching a webinar on writing/publishing (why not?), I’m told that there are but three reasons why people read: to be informed, inspired, or entertained (or a combination of them). A later lesson in this series spins it a little differently, but with essentially the same three categories: “people read to escape, solve a problem, or expand their knowledge.” Reflecting on these, I’m inclined to agree.
Could this apply to news imbibing, too?
A cursory reflection brings me to the conclusion that it could, and probably does.
So then I become a bit more analytical (seriously)! How does each of these stories either inform, inspire, or entertain?
And my anger dissipates. And I decide not to cancel my cable subscription. (OK, I’m old school, for both philosophical and practical reasons [another topic, that I’ve hinted at several times]. Substitute internet for cable, if you like.)
I’ll probably kill another hour watching TV news again tonight, though I can do nothing to affect the rest of the world by doing so.
But it will inform, perhaps entertain and possibly even inspire me.
And, hopefully, I’ll be a better person as a result.
At least, that’s how I see it . . .
Changing our lives, bite by bite
Voluntarily or not, my Inbox gets bombarded daily with advice and marketing (often combined). Occasionally I even read some of those messages. This morning’s one was so inspiring to me that I decided to reprint it in its entirety here:
“Every day of our lives, we are on the verge of making those slight changes that would make all the difference.” — Mignon McLaughlin
This quote is powerful to me. It reminds me that I am in control of my life. By making small foundational changes every day, I create building blocks and a strong foundation that eventually turns into success.
The slight change that made the biggest difference in my life was to commit to being an active learner.
Every day I challenge myself to learn one new thing.
I can learn through YouTube, books, conversations with mentors and coaches…
The important thing is the daily commitment.
To eating your elephant one bite at a time,
– Robert Kiyosaki
I agree with him!
Quotation: Every day of our lives, we are on the verge of making those slight changes that would make all the difference. — Mignon McLaughlin
