I shouldn't watch the news... it upsets me. I try to be a "global citizen" and keep tabs on the world. It saps the humanity--the hope, I have in others. It twists the belief I have in myself. What can I do? It makes me feel like we've hit bottom as a species, and we keep digging.
But, good things happen all the time in this world. People get new jobs, marry, have babies. Police officers save lives. A kid stands up to a bully on another child's behalf. People unite to feed the homeless, build houses, change things. These things, the spine and thrumming blood of life, are rarely covered by media outlets. No, we want the carnage and pain, we tune in for that.
We should keep tabs on the chaos, but not to prove ourselves right. We should watch, but not to view others' pain from a distance. We should watch carefully (without letting it consume us) so we may know where we are needed. Where can we go? Who can we help? If I can't take a certain action for a cause, what am I able to do?
We can't let the sheer amount of sadness and confusion overwhelm us or (worse) make us numb. We need to feel, we must.
Many people take their feelings and unleash them on their neighbors (politics, anyone?) only serving to fuel animosity. We have passion and drive and desire. What we tend to lack is direction for all the fire, so we burn instead of warm. Destroy, instead of create.
We are spinning out, adding hardship on a world needing less. And hurting ourselves in the process. We are meant to be builders of bridges. Makers of beautiful, useful things. Help, even if it's just one person... you might just save yourself.
But, good things happen all the time in this world. People get new jobs, marry, have babies. Police officers save lives. A kid stands up to a bully on another child's behalf. People unite to feed the homeless, build houses, change things. These things, the spine and thrumming blood of life, are rarely covered by media outlets. No, we want the carnage and pain, we tune in for that.
We should keep tabs on the chaos, but not to prove ourselves right. We should watch, but not to view others' pain from a distance. We should watch carefully (without letting it consume us) so we may know where we are needed. Where can we go? Who can we help? If I can't take a certain action for a cause, what am I able to do?
We can't let the sheer amount of sadness and confusion overwhelm us or (worse) make us numb. We need to feel, we must.
Many people take their feelings and unleash them on their neighbors (politics, anyone?) only serving to fuel animosity. We have passion and drive and desire. What we tend to lack is direction for all the fire, so we burn instead of warm. Destroy, instead of create.
We are spinning out, adding hardship on a world needing less. And hurting ourselves in the process. We are meant to be builders of bridges. Makers of beautiful, useful things. Help, even if it's just one person... you might just save yourself.
We've all got to make a difference where and when we can. I'm with you. It's the only thing that can save us.
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