Something bad happened today. Just like every day, if you’re used to seeing the world in a particular way.
I know because I saw someone post a link to an “ain’t it awful” news story.
Other than seeing the headline, I don’t know anything about what happened, I won’t click on the article. I’m not interested. I’m not curious. And while this unwanted event is true (I mean, I believe it happened), it really has nothing to do with my life.
It’s irrelevant to me.
So on most subjects about the evils of mankind and the troubles of the world, I’m pretty much checked out. I don’t pay attention to these stories in the same way I don’t listen to dance music stations. Just not for me.
At first blush, perhaps I sound cold, lacking empathy.
Shouldn’t we care about climate change? Or the ivory trade? Or the ineptitude of Congress/the President? Or GMO in the foods we eat? Or world poverty? Or the next big storm that takes the lives of lots of people?
Aren’t decent, caring humans supposed to pay attention to the problems in the world? Isn’t that how things get fixed?
Well, maybe…
But maybe not.
Maybe nothing is really fucked here. Ever. No matter what’s on the TV screen or Twitter feed.
Maybe your experiences and your “truths” are just a reflection of what you are choosing to focus upon.
Certainly I used to pay attention to lots of news stories (the vast majority of which are purposely not positive stories). However, looking back it’s pretty clear I only did so out of habit. I believed it was important to be “informed” and I was willing to let some corporate media company dictate the content I consumed. I did this for decades. I learned some things. And certainly I was entertained.
But as I began to study Law of Attraction, I began to focus less on the external events of the world (i.e, all the stuff I had no control over) and more of my own sense of alignment (the only thing under my power).
In short, I more regularly engaged in the practice of consciously feeling better. As a result, I felt better and better. From this feeling-better place, the news/stories of gloom became less and less relevant to my life. They still existed of course, but I bumped into them less and less. We began traveling in different circles. And now when I do see things I find unpleasant, I can usually just scroll by.
One of the things I’ve learned is that you cannot feel bad enough to make something better for someone else. Or for yourself, for that matter.
Dwelling in darkness — contemplating it, analyzing it, studying it, does not bring the light.
Only the desire and focus for light brings the light.
Letting go of the bad truths of the world may seem like a radical idea… (I hope so.)
It may seem foolhardy. Irresponsible. Naive. Selfish. And so on…
But that’s only from the outside looking in.
When you consciously choose to put your attention on things that feel better to you, you’ll notice that the unwanted news of the world becomes IRRELEVANT to your life because everything in your life will be rather cool (e.g., your bank account will not reflect the “bad economy” everyone else is talking about). And you certainly won’t care if other people think you are whacked out of your mind, disconnected to (their) “reality” because your reality will look and feel very different.
When your priority is feeling good, stopping the flow of GOOD will feel unnatural and uncomfortable.
You are in charge of what’s relevant to your life. Not experts. Not corporations. Not doctors. Not global economies. Not politicians. Not weather gods.
Every minute of every day you choose what’s relevant and true in your experience by where you focus your attention.
And I think that’s just wonderful. You?
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