A positive mindset is demonstrated by maintaining a positive attitude in spite of negative situations. And then making an appropriate choice.

Sometimes on our news broadcasts here in New Zealand, I hear about things that are weeks old, and have done the rounds through the internet, but are somehow touted now as BREAKING NEWS !

When I say to others that ‘that guff is weeks or months old’, I am once again rubbished for believing more happily in the internet items I get sent to me, than the junk the TV /radio puts out night after night. ! I too have wide sources of information to draw upon, and it is brilliant.

I am not against watching TV at all, I just think people should use better judgement and actually THINK about what they are seeing/hearing, before blindly accepting whatever is thrown at them by ‘the tube’ and it’s masters!

If you are moved to take action by something you see/hear, then by all means do it. The source of the catalyst does not matter! What matters is that you have thought about it all and decided you can do something to make a difference, whether large or small.

To blindly believe in whatever is told to you by others is a stupid use of the brain we were all given to use, and all you end up being, is a scared creature afraid of your own shadow and incapable of trying anything new in case it bites you!

Some news items are sad and really affect everyone such as the Boxing Day tsunami, Haiti’s earthquake and various other events, including Lady Diana’s death, and it is amazing to see how people from all over the world suddenly decide to try to help or simply do SOMETHING ! No matter what! They just have a real need to TRY to help! To encourage others or simply lend a shoulder to cry on, or shift piles of rubble with their bare hands!

Surely we can all benefit from knowing what is going on around us, whether close to us or not, otherwise how can we be warned about matters that will affect out daily lives such as national ID cards, airport scanners and their dangers, changes to traffic rules, new schools opening up etc, etc, etc.

We cannot function in a vacuum. We were not created to live that way! Very boring that’s for sure. Might as well sleep all day and never see the sun or the moon!

Not for me! I’d rather be open to all sorts of things and ideas and discuss these with others so we all grow and extend our minds and thinking. And hopefully, have a lot of fun in the process.

from Cheryl

[Heather's REPLY]:

Paul, through your rambling run-on sentences, I THINK I gathered what you’re trying to say… and it seems to be based on a misinterpretation of the article.

We never SAID “you should spend time time watching the news in order to strengthen your own mental resolve.”

Anything taken to the extreme can have detrimental effects, including things that are supposed to be good for you.

Red wine, when sipped in moderation, can have health benefits, but if you drink a bottle a day, you’ll more likely end up with a pickled liver. Eating a bushel of apples a day is also going to cause problems, even if one apple a day DOES keep the doctor away.

So what I’m saying is that the world is not black-and-white, with things being either “good” or “bad” for you. Almost everything has its balance of yin and yang, just like the universe as a whole.

The only thing we said is not to refuse to watch the news out of fear… because it’s letting the fear win, taking away your personal power, and leaving you in a dark hole as to what’s going on in the world around you. That’s not the same as saying you should take time to watch it to strengthen your mental resolve.

As for the “Disney in Munchkinland” reference, I just don’t get what you’re trying to say there, so I won’t address it.

cheers
Heather

I believe that what is necessary for me to know will find me.

And it does. If it is really important, I will know within minutes. For example when 9 11 happened I knew lickety split from friends on that side of the country. Then I made a choice to turn on the tube.

If I want to know what the weather is, I walk outside and look. lol

I don’t believe that our news is anywhere near what is really happening most of the time, so I don’t waste my time watching their “story telling”. I do on occasion go out to some of my favorite websites who report on political issues, and / health & nutrition concerns to get what I feel is more truthful reporting, and then I send out harmonic messages to the universal mind. (wink)

Do I think that we must stay attuned to what is happening out there? You bet, otherwise we may wake up in a completely socialistic society and say: How’d that happen?

Oh wait,, how did that happen??

How can we have choices if we aren’t paying attention? How can we have power if we believe there is nothing we can do about “that” anyway.. that is called; You are what you believe.. and if you believe you can’t, well then, you can’t .. you powerless hunk of blob… I, for one refuse to be put into that box.

hmmm. It seems I have gone a rant. Great blog! Thanks

Cheers!
Liz

[Heather's REPLY]:

Well, if you truly “don’t care” about other people, or even what you can learn from what’s happening to them, or how big picture events are going to touch your own little life, then that’s one thing…

But it seems like what you’re really saying is you DON’T avoid the news, you just choose to get it from alternative sources. OK, cool. That’s a different story. You’re fortunate to have a close-knit network of friends who will keep you up to date on things, too, which not everybody has.

As for the weather thing, I would have to assume you live somewhere where the weather doesn’t change an awful lot from one hour to the next, so that going out to look “now” would give you a good indication of what it will be like “later” too… or that you never go outside for more than a few minutes at a time, so it really doesn’t matter.

When it comes to making a difference though, it depends whether you’re talking about taking things into your own hands and DOING something, which is great… or just voting for a certain political candidate, which probably doesn’t pull much weight if we have puppet masters truly running the world.

Thanks for the comment!

cheers
Heather

More
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/20/haiti-aid-agency-security

______

“That’s admitting that “they” and their agenda are more powerful than you!” – er… they are.

[Heather's REPLY]:

“They” are if you let them be… but they’re completely ineffectual if you see through the facade and don’t let it rule your life.

[Heather's REPLY]:

And of course, the real joke is that WE are illusions too, in the big picture of life… and in that context, researching information from another illusion doesn’t seem as crazily over-dramatic as Howard presented it.

I thought I’m losing my mind .. because my work have to do with exposing to the media. and it is true that news is negative, and I’ve been sad seeing kids getting killed in wars. but I always found that ignoring news and focusing on my own happiness not helping, thought it seems is what all I need.

But now I realize its not the news that makes me negative .. it is ignoring and acting as nothing is hapening around that make me feel hopeless.

Actually news make me more empathy and compassion. make my feelings move and my energy warm up . these feeling make me think of solutions, of what I can do. because I can’t help it but to feel that I am part of all, and that I am connected to everyone and everything. and my true happiness is when I share it.

thank you again.
Arwa

I would respectfully suggest that if you do choose to watch bad news you are affected on a sub-conscious level and it will affect you even if you make a conscious effort to not let it affect you.

Large companies understand this and that is why they advertise. If they can repeat a message over and over it affects people on a subconscious level to the point that they purchase without realizing why.

If you watch bad news day after day it will affect you via your subconscious – what you feed on…

So I agree that everyone has the choice to change the channel but it is my opinion that you are much better off not watching bad news – it will affect you. Even if you are watching something that only affects 0.0016 percent of the population I would suggest it affects a much larger percentage than that because bad news repeated will affect everyone who compliantly watches.

Regards,

Steve

[ Barry's Reply ] – Steve, here’s a mind gripper to try on for size: The more you focus on pushing aside (repressing) your own feelings of fear, anger, or anxiety; the more you spend too much energy trying to shield yourself from (ignore) anything “outside of you” that is controversial, negative, or emotionally/mentally shocking, the more likely you’ll be constantly hanging out in Munchkinland.

For more Wizard of Oz Wisdom, click here…

Or, another idea: Take a DEEP breath, set aside your powerless notion that “bad news” will (and can) permanently affect your psyche and greater common-sense, and actually step into the land of the unknown by reading what some of your fellow LWL readers above have already pointed out in regards to attempting to erroneously shield yourself from the rawness and realness of life.

Refreshing. The premise that nothing exists until we put our attention on it, and then disappears once we withdraw it, is just ego centric. I am pretty sure that the remote parts of the Amazon exist even the parts that no human has even seen, much less created by their focused attention.

Most folks can remain in ignorant bliss if everything and everyone around them are complying with their idea of being and acting positive. That takes no moral fiber at all. Maintaining a positive attitude (not necessarily all positive thoughts, certainly not all positive feelings), compassion, courage and integrity in the face of tragedy, conflict, abusive actions and fearful situations, is a person that has character.

The notion that an individual can control every aspect of his life, circumstances, and outcomes is not only an illusion but is motivated by fear at the prospect of dealing with life on life’s terms.

And finally, the claim that everyone creates their own circumstances, suffering, illness, poverty, abuse, etc. so they are responsible for rescuing themselves, is a wonderful justification for apathy, judgment, a sense of superiority, and the right for elitist separation from the “mediocre mindset of the masses”.

We can empower ourselves to change our life and our circumstances to an amazing degree. Our attitude affects our perception and motivation. Our perception affects our thoughts and feelings. Our intentions change our character. And together they can transform our personal experience. And it is our experience, much more than our situation that affects the quality of our lives.

Lauren