exercise

In my six decades walking this orb, I’m not sure I remember a more tumultuous time than the past few months.

Granted, I was blissfully unaware of the news of the day during the tumult of the 60’s, another era when racial and other divides rock our Nation to the core, though with the ever-present prattle of media these days (and there’s much more to the media game today) I’m convinced these are some of the most stressful days passed on the planet and in America in particular in decades.

Complicating our ability to process all the “news of the day” is the fact that what have historically been trusted media sources (I should clarify perhaps that these comments focus on news media) have seemingly evolved into purveyors of opinion as much or more than fact, and they (pick your poison here – evidence appears to support they’re all guilty of this) overtly alter or omit key facts that would otherwise put a different spin on the story.

Add to that the reality that emotions are running raw, not just other people you might see on video rioting in our Nation’s capitol or burning Minneapolis, but people you know, interact with, and perhaps live with have been impacted deeply.

Even further muddling our efforts to sort the wheat from the chaff so to speak is the toxic venom that has infiltrated and captured so much of social media these days. One of my personal goals for 2020 was to dial back social media consumption, and I was well on the way before the world changed in late February. Dipping a toe back into social media waters, often spurred by loved ones in my inner circle, has shocked me to the core at times – the level of hatred, vitriol, and misinformation (or outright lies) expressed is astounding.

My point?

You must be very very thoughtful and careful about the media you consume these days; we all have to take a break from the onslaught of images and cascades of emotion being channeled your direction. Make no mistake, much of what you’re seeing (if you’re immersed in the media) has been crafted carefully to invoke deep emotion, and we as humans simply aren’t built to sustain that fight or flight emotional reaction level for hour upon hour, day up day.

You need a break, you need to recharge those mental and emotional batteries, and you above all must keep the physical and nutritional components of your life in fine working order to sustain the challenges each day seems to bring.

Turn your damn phone and TV off, especially in the hours leading up to bed – a good night’s sleep is imperative these days.

Get outside and play – it needn’t be a huge production: hike, bike, game night with the kids, family movie nights, have a picnic and cook at your favorite local park. Read, paint, have a music immersion day, even creative hours in the kitchen can be magical.

A core necessity of your life mission is to take care of yourself so you can take care of those you love around you; you’ll still have time to save the world when you’re called to help out. Don’t fall for the trap that disorder and chaos is the only path to the future – that’s one of the great deceptions of these days, and will be proven false as it always has been throughout history.

Rest, refresh, replenish, and serve those around you.