| Good Vibrations by Angie Bailey It's practically a guarantee that flipping on the news or opening up a newspaper will send you flying in the face of some awful scenario detailing rape, theft, arrests and cancer. As I try and avoid this type of "news" more and more, I become increasingly aware that I cannot seek shelter from it! Yesterday in the doctor's office, I picked up what I thought was a "safe" magazine. As I perused the pages of a popular parenting publication, I was bombarded with statistics about childhood illness and ad after ad for medications to treat the multitude of sick kids. I know kids get sick from time to time -- but yikes! What jumped out at me was all the focus on illness and very little about wellness. I returned the magazine to its pile and grabbed a business publication, only to be met with stories of woe concerning the economy. Then I started to wonder, "Am I too sensitive? Have I become so disconnected with what's happening in the world and grown too Pollyannaish (there's a word for you!)?" After much contemplation, here's my conclusion about the whole situation. Look for the Good I continue to maintain an unyielding belief that we must look for the good in people and situations and surround ourselves with as much "good news" as possible. Yes -- sometimes you have to seek it out, but the treasure is well-worth the search. What would the evening news be like if it included as much coverage of individuals who volunteer and change lives, random acts of kindness and families reunited? I'm not asking for nightly news to become another episode of "Oprah," however, I'd like to see some of the grisly focus eliminated and more of the inspirational stories highlighted. I believe it's true that there's actually more good stuff than bad stuff happening in our communities. Why can't we have an accurate report of what's really happening? The argument I am often met with is, "But that's what the people want to see!" Is it really or is it that we've all been conditioned with the car-wreck mentality that glues us to anything sensational we read, hear or see? Think about how your body feels after watching a clip about a violent murder. Just typing those words brings a heavy energy to my body. Now consider how you'd feel after watching a story about a group of children who, through a lemonade stand, raised money to donate to a local children's hospital. Again, I feel a change in my body as I think about the scenario. In fact, I become inspired and begin to plot ways that my kids can contribute to their community. It's true. When we are exposed to "good news," we are more likely to become inspired to spread more of it. I'm not saying to pretend like unfortunate situations aren't taking place in our world, I'm simply suggesting that we enlighten ourselves with more of the positive, uplifting stories. We are then in a better place to be able to lend ourselves to help those people and situations. Don't you agree that a loving approach is far more productive than an angry one? How do we do that? How do we "find" good news? Here are some suggestions: ¥ Let it begin with you! Chances are, you have experienced an act (or acts) of kindness throughout your day. Talk about them with others. Tell your neighbor about the nice people on the highway who let you merge (I know it may sound minor or even silly, but I guarantee you exuded positive energy when it happened). Share with your spouse or partner about the excellent customer service you received at the bookstore. Talk to your kids about the person who allowed you to go in front of them in the grocery store line. It's super-important to share these incidents with children. Sharing positive experiences with them helps them to see that good is happening all around and inspires them to share goodwill early on. It then becomes the norm for them to experience life from that perspective. ¥ Do not watch the evening news. I don't and do not miss it. I find that through friends and my husband (who is a news hound), I learn everything I need to learn and avoid the detailed stories that are portrayed on TV. I sometimes listen to snippets of news on MPR, but mostly avoid that sort of thing altogether. If I see that a special feature will be on a news show, I may time it so I catch the feature. Also, the end of the news broadcast is when they focus on "feel-good" stories and weather (which I enjoy), so many times I'll flip it on toward the end of the show. ¥ Scan newspaper headlines and read only the ones that sound appealing. I usually only read the local community paper and don't even touch the large one, unless it is to read the Arts section. Check Your Energy Having suggested ideas for exposing yourself to more "good news," I am fully aware that we cannot live in a cocoon, forever shielded from any details about war, politics and illness. What we can do is practice raising our energy vibrations so we are less affected by it. If you haven't read, Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting, by Lynn Grabhorn, run right out and acquire a copy now. In my experience, this book offers the best practical suggestions for raising your energetic vibrations and, thus, attracting good into your life. The premise is that we are all energetic magnets, and when we are vibrating at low frequencies (fear, rage, worry, lack), we attract people and situations of the same frequency. Conversely, when we are vibrating at a higher frequency (love, gratitude, excitement, joy), we attract the same. She suggests that when we are faced with an emotion of fear, we can quickly reverse it by feeling a situation that vibrates at a higher frequency. So if I were watching TV and saw a story about a murder and immediately went to fear and anger, I can choose to stop and think about a lovely vacation, something funny my son said, an exciting new work project... anything that produces a higher vibrating frequency. The most important part of this exercise is to really feel it is your heart and gut. It's not enough to bring a pleasant thought to mind -- you must be there with it. The more often we practice flipping our energy over, the more automatic it becomes and we more quickly attract good into our lives. So if negative, fear-producing news must be a part of our lives from time to time, we can at least protect our energy and not be sucked into its vortex. Life is sometimes a roller-coaster ride. We experience a full range of emotions, from the most delightful ecstasy to the deepest of hurtful wounds. It is empowering to realize the effects of our environment on our roller-coaster adventure. It is awesome and completely possible to choose our reality and design our destinies. Angie Bailey writes and speaks on a variety of life-inspiring topics, as well as produces and hosts a cable access show in the Chisago Lakes area, called "The Bright Side." She is also the volunteer coordinator at Unity in Golden Valley. Angie can be reached through her website www.positivelyangie.com or (612) 581-7664. Copyright © 2004 Angie Bailey |
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Jan 2004 |
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