Huey Lewis and the ____…

I can count on one hand the newscasts I have watched in the past two decades. I haven’t consistently watched the news since 1991 when my sole purpose in life was to stay on the planet. Because I was ((((thisclose)))) to saying “adios” by my own hand, I had to, very consciously, make the commitment to myself to live.  In order to do that, I shut out the world, pretty much, to focus on my own healing process.

And what a process it was. Turns out, I didn’t need the news (or television for that matter) at all; my personal programming – riddled with internal mayhem and toxic experiences — was plenty entertaining all by itself! In fact, the goings on in my head needed my attention for a long time. I had preferred to distract myself with others’ fiction and non-fiction stories rather than focusing on my own.

Paying attention to myself and my own needs paid off in countless ways. For one, I came to realize that after watching a news program I was more depressed and scared than I was when it started. That wasn’t good for me. As sensitive as I am, I require lots of love and support, which I learned to give to myself, and I am peaceful and balanced now, rather than depressed and scared. I keep it that way by focusing on things that I find joyous, fun and empowering.

You may feel otherwise about watching a news program; you may not feel like jumping afterwards like I do. However, if you find that you seek more peace, a sense of tranquility or balance in your life in general, here are a few suggestions that can help you do that:

1. Be willing to spend to quality time with yourself, just to check in. Let it be okay that you think how you think. Releasing judgment is key.

2. Focus on your experiences in a different way: check in with yourself on how you feel before you watch a particular program, meet with certain people or engage in a specific activity. Afterwards, check in again. Do you feel better, lighter, happier or more empowered?

3. Do more of what empowers you and less of what depletes you!

You may be surprised by what you will learn about yourself as you shift your focus from worldly matters to personal ones. You may find your inner landscape more lush and beautiful than a rain forest, and the rewards of a deepening personal connection to be satisfying beyond words. By checking in with yourself and becoming your own best cheerleader, you will find that there is no one on the planet more beautiful – or newsworthy–than you!