One day people will stop reading newspapers. On that day newspapers will start writing stories about good things rather than just calamity or entertainment. The former drenches the soul and the latter makes us forget our depth. With either, we remain unfulfilled, empty.
My neighbour was telling me how she was feeling depressed and angry with all the violence she has been watching and reading on the news. Even as we talked, I started to get affected by the conversation. I thought of the many negative messages we are fed every day and which, consciously or unconsciously, we keep in our minds and hearts, like a virus ready to strike at the least failure of our "immune system".
Today, before even opening my daily newspaper, I said to myself: "I am not going to take sides. I will not judge or absorb any negativity". Like a child would, with eyes of innocence and tenderness. You may be wondering "what is the point of that?"
Well, one is that I felt better. I figured that if I did not protect my inner peace and 'joy de vivre' it would affect my relationships, work, home environment, etc. Also, if I had been positive when talking to my neighbour, I could have put things in perspective for both of us, rather than allowing myself to be carried away by her depression or anger.
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