Reflections
Keeping up with the (bad) news: Informed vs. Inundated
My last entry opened the topic of how to respond purposefully (and not just from fear or survival instinct) to the current economic troubles. This posting goes a little further down that path.
One of the most effective ways of maintaining a balanced perspective
is being purposeful about what we focus our attention on.
With today’s 24/7 media environment, 24-hour news channels, and electronic gadgets all around us, we are constantly bombarded with the (bad) news. In fact, we’re given a lot more bad news than good news. If this is most of what occupies your mental space, where do you think your emotional state will end up?
Don’t get me wrong – I am not telling you to ignore what is happening around you by sticking your head in the sand. I think it is useful and important to be informed. BUT, there is a difference between being informed and being inundated. Sadly, I think the norm for us these days (and we’re not even aware of it most of the time), is to be inundated. Worse yet, we are not at all purposeful about what we allow ourselves to be inundated with. So, the default is “what’s available”, which is predominantly bad news.
Instead of hearing and reading over and over and over each day how terrible things are and how bad things are going to get, my suggestion is to balance some of that with at least SOME attention on positive things that are happening in your life and work.
“WHY?” You might ask. Because – as you will probably know by observing your own life – we often create the result we fear most, or at least the result we focus on most. Said differently, we create a self-fulfilling prophesy. Worse yet, once our fears are realized, we have proven ourselves right and the cycle gains power and validity. It can be hard to break out of unless you hit a “pattern interrupt” button somewhere and decide to be more purposeful about what you focus on and what you put your energy toward. I say this in part because there is widely held theory that what we focus on, we produce more of. It is called the law of attraction.
Here’s to having a say about how your day goes.
March 26th, 2010 at 6:56 am
Well spoken. Although, your post sounds a lot like what Mr. Beckwith stated in an interview recorded in the “The Secret.” He explains the same statement of informed vs. inundation and it’s significant impact on our society and possible future. Great job with communicating the idea in such a unique way. I especially like the part about the “pattern interupt” button. It’s a catchy phrase that could keep people aware of their current focus. If you did read “The Secret”, I would make sure to include where your ideas originated from. It’s important to give koodos to those who have worked hard to get where they are intellectually.
May 28th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Hi Justin,
Thank you very much for your kind words, and sorry it took me sooo long to reply. I haven’t looked at the “comments” section for a while. I heard the phrase “Informed vs. Inundated” in two places: from a leader in a coaching program I participate in, and from a contributor to “The Secret” (the movie vs. the book). Either way, I could have cited both parties. BTW, I just pulled up “The Secret’s” website to review the contributors and I think it was actually James Arthur Ray who said it rather than Mr. Beckwith. Still, your point stands. Thanks and best wishes.