Notes From The Furlough: Day 73

While you watch, the world refines itself.

Please discuss. How does this play out in life?

I’ll start us out. This year especially, but really in any other year too, it can be frightening and disturbing to read or watch the news. There is so much going on we feel is negative, unfortunate, wrong, or even evil. Pandemic, fractured and ineffective politics, disrupted economy, unemployment, social injustice: these are some of the main themes capturing our frightened and horrified attention, but there are others as well. Sensationalism sells, so it’s no surprise this is much of what is served up to us. We’ve allowed ourselves to become addicted to negative news.

We do want to know the pertinent facts and be aware of major happenings: rate of virus spread and risk factors, major legislation pending and election year candidate issue stances, key economic trends, jobs outlook, areas of necessary social and legal reform. Our emotional response and thought process around these pieces of information is a choice, and therefore under our control. We have the ability and responsibility to evaluate and interpret for ourselves what we read and hear.

Today’s message reminds me that life is an ongoing process, one that tends to balance itself over the longer term. What may seem chaotic and/or cataclysmic to me is simply change, change that was in many cases overdue. COVID-19 has me reviewing lifestyle needs versus wants and focusing more on healthy routines. Political gridlock is fueling my desire for saner more collaborative ways of governing. Being unemployed has me re-envisioning my relationship to work and income. Social unrest calls attention to my preconceived ideas and feelings about others—us versus them, or separation consciousness.

For me, these are all opportunities to become saner, healthier, more positive. If I look around me with willingness to see, I will note the beneficial effects of change already occurring. It’s up to me to feed them with my attention and focus.

How about you? What positive changes are you aware of going on in and/or around you?