But It's Only A TV Show!

I used to be a huge fan of Law and Order SVU. Loved trying to figure out who the perp was and of course Chris Meloni was an added benefit! :) But when I realized how fearful I got whenever I was home alone and then began following the trail of images and stories, I couldn't deny what was at the end of them.

And alas I decided to stop watching or else live with these horrible images at the ready anytime the setting was ripe for them to grow my fear.

Now my current television ban for that same reason is the news. I won't make this a post about how I believe our news media creates and perpetuates a fear based society, but I do know that it does me no good to hear about all of the awful things that happen that are so called "news."

I am not saying I want to hide my head in the sand and pretend there are not tragedies and horrors, but as much as I know they exist I also KNOW of goodness and love and heroics that unfortunately are not what is being reported as often. And that is what I seek out in terms of filling my spirit and helping me to not live a fear based life. Because I know that in my fear I am not a healing force in this world, on any level, as a friend or a mom or a coach or just as a human being.

I know what it's like to live a life full of fear and anxiety and I know what it can do to my health and to my everyday quality of life. So I am very mindful of what I choose to fill my senses with.

I am reading a fantastic book right now by Brene Brown called Daring Greatly and I want to quote something she wrote. She was talking about that feeling we tend to have when we get filled with joy and then stop ourselves from being vulnerable because we start to expect "the other shoe to drop" if we feel "too" happy.

Brene writes:

"And our culture assists in this doom-filled rehearsal: Most of us have a stockpile of terrible images that we can pull from at the instant we're grappling with vulnerability. I often ask audience members to raise their hands if they've seen a graphically violent image in the past week. About twenty percent of the audience normally raises their hands. Then I reframe the question: 'raise your hand if you've watched the news, CSI, NCIS, Law & Order, Bones, or any other crime show on TV.' At that point about eight to ninety percent of the audience hands go up. We have the images we need to activate foreboding joy right at our fingertips."

My intention is not to tell people what they should or should not watch on television. My mission is simply mindfulness. If you live in fear often and/or have a lot of worry or anxiety perhaps you may want to take stock of what you are choosing to view.

Do you feel like there are no good people in the world as a result of what you see reported on the news? Because there are in fact many out there. Do you live with a sense dread? If so maybe watch less of the news. There are plenty of ways to be informed.

Do you have trouble falling asleep at night? If your answer is yes have you ever questioned what you are feeding your mind and spirit before bed?

Personally I know what I can and can't watch if I want to be on a more even keel within as I am a highly sensitive person. But either way, again, it's all about mindfulness of our "entertainment" and"information." Taking stock of what works best for you can help promote a clearer, more joyful, less fear based experience of life.