The media, prayer, and the choices we make.

Hi Friends,

I was writing an essay to you about my feelings regarding the mainstream media, and it was getting really long and really heavy and started to feel not at all like what I wanted to send you today.

I’ll say this: I was a news addict and haven’t watched the news since the 2020 election. I’m a more relaxed person for it. I still check headlines online and decide if I want to dive in, and sometimes I do but usually I don’t. It rarely feels good. A couple newsletters ago, I invited us to look at our thought process and ask ourselves, “Is this helpful?” I do the same when I consider the news, and add the question, “Is there anything I can do about it?” Usually, the answer is no.

There will no doubt be round-the-clock coverage, at least here in the states, of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the worldwide fallout from it. There will be a compulsion in many of us to stay glued to our TVs, or computers, or phones, and keep on top of every bit of news unfolding around this latest atrocity. We will feel (already feel) the collective anxiety and fear, as well as heartbreak for the people of Ukraine who are now under attack. And, aside from prayer if you choose it (and I do), there will be little to nothing we can do about it.

I won’t be consuming the news around this invasion. I’ve already seen reference to World War III six or seven times on my Instagram feed this morning. No. I will not stoke my anxiety by engaging. Even as I’m writing about it now I can feel my chest tighten. Being glued to my computer for invasion updates will not be helpful, and won’t in any way serve the Ukrainian people.

I could write a ferocious missive about why I don’t trust the mainstream media, and that certainly plays into my lack of news intake these days. Just as important, however, is paying attention to how I feel when I watch or read the news. In two words: like shit. I write so much about how important our choices are, and how critical it is to begin eliminating choices that feel unhealthy, that deplete us, that do us harm. I believe my news addiction was one of the ways in which I was harming myself the most. And, unlike the myriad horrors around the world, about which I could do nothing, I could stop consuming the endless stream of violent and fear-based news.

It is not a denial of a tragedy to not steep yourself in the particulars of it. I don’t believe we dishonor victims by not reading or watching every gruesome detail of what they are currently enduring. I don’t say that flippantly. My heart breaks for the Ukrainian people. And the Syrian people. And the Sudanese people. And the Venezuelan people. And the Afghan people. And any number of millions around the world and within our own country who are suffering from the horrors of patriarchy, war and injustice.

It is simply not possible to hold space for it all.

I don’t believe we human beings can maintain any sense of personal or collective sanity while at the same time opening ourselves up to the assault of information and news — most of which is tragic and horrifying — coming at us from every angle about all corners of the world. It’s too much to take in, and process, and the more we try, the more helpless and defeated we’re likely to feel.

If you feel the call to help Ukrainians, by all means research reputable organizations and contribute to them if you’re able. I did a quick search and found this article with what appears to be some good suggestions (again, please check into any group you decide to donate to). You can do that without glueing yourself to the news and stoking your fear and anxiety. It’s not helpful.

Friends, we live in a beautiful and insane world. The media focuses almost exclusively on the insane aspects and we in turn come to view our reality as only cruel, violent and hopeless. I don’t think there’s a person on the planet who could consume an hour of cable news and not feel stressed and depleted by the end of it (by the first five minutes of it, really).

You are not doing a disservice to Ukraine, or (insert country in crisis here), by turning off your TV, or shutting down your devices, and choosing to meditate, or write, or go on a walk, or connect with a friend about some good news, or anything you want to do that creates a bit more peace within the chaos. Even on a day like today, especially on a day like today, when it feels like the reality of our world is just too much, we can still remind ourselves to control what we can control, to return to our breath and this present moment, and no matter what, to keep seeking out the beauty here, too.

The more centered I become in my connection to Source, to love, the clearer it becomes to me that we are all One. What is happening in Ukraine affects us all. There is no separation. The same goes for any of the countless crises around the world. Even the ones we aren’t aware of affect us. Though I am committed to taking care of my mental health by not consuming the news, I am also committed to remembering this oneness and praying for a more beautiful world, for the evolution of our humanity away from war and toward peace, away from injustice and toward justice for all, away from fear and toward love.

I believe in prayer. Our thoughts and intentions are energy. Prayer is energy. I’m not saying if we pray, all will suddenly be well in Ukraine or (insert country in crisis here). But, there is power in our ability to direct our thoughts, our energy toward envisioning the kind of world we want to co-create, and to become examples of that vision in our own lives. In our own families. In our own communities. And it sure feels better to pray for peace than to absorb hours upon hours of media-fed war. Don’t underestimate the power of your consciousness, and where you choose to direct it.

Right now, I pray for peace in Ukraine, and Russia, and around the world. I pray our hearts open to love in such a profound way that war would not just be unacceptable but impossible. I pray for the miracles I believe can be created when we unite in love, when we hold a vision for our world that reflects our inherent oneness with each other. And I pray that each of us, wherever we are, can learn how to connect more readily and deeply with the stillness of our enlightened souls.

Wishing you all so much love, today and always,

Scott

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In things that feel good news, here are a couple recommendations:

My dear friend David Gandelman, a beloved spiritual and meditation teacher, has a brand new book out called The Seven Energies of the Soul, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. With helpful exercises and meditation practices throughout, David helps us look at our energetic strengths and weaknesses and guides us into bringing ourselves into balance. It’s a really helpful perspective through which to view ourselves.

Here’s a song, I Choose to Live in Love, that I’ll likely have on repeat all day today.

Remember: You are beautiful. You are worthy. You are loved.