Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

TIP #01 (& tip “only”): TURN OFF “THE NEWS” …
In our media-driven modern-world, this is one of the most powerful ways you can free
your True Self … get rid of your cable or satellite TV, unplug from the Internet, and toss
your cell phone away.
If these solutions are too extreme for you, establish limits for the use of these media
outlets and stick to them. Every minute you unplug from the news is one more minute
you get to immerse yourself in the wonders of being alive — wonders that are not
available online; wonders that are only available in those moments when we reach out to
connect with another being.
Remember: you do not need to “be informed” the way the news outlets wish you to be.
Regardless of how it is witnessed (via TV, radio, print or online), the news provides only
a ridiculously narrow portrayal of the brilliantly fascinating – and often beautifully
inspiring – world in which we live.
Even if you watch the BBC, read the New York Times, and tune in to the Global Post
every day, you will never obtain an objective take on the state of our world – never.
Indeed, as far as your own life and your own community are concerned, there is almost
nothing important or relevant to be learned from any of the world’s national or
international news sources — nothing.
*We don’t need to hear about the latest “medical breakthroughs” unless we are in need of
one, in which case it would be wise to learn about them from a doctor – not a news outlet.
*Catastrophe updates from abroad are equally irrelevant, at least until we soothe the
damage of our disasters at home. 150,000 people die every day on planet Earth – many of
them in our own communities; and these are the folks we should be informing ourselves
about on a daily basis; people who we can reach out to and lend some real, tangible
Compassion.
*War updates from abroad are also irrelevant, at least until we create true Peace at home.
Violent crimes are committed every day on the streets of most of our communities, and
these people (both the victims of those crimes, as well as their perpetrators) are the ones
we should be reaching out to — both with our Kindness and with our Forgiveness.
*Poverty and Illness abroad are all irrelevant as well, at least until we enliven economic
justice and a state of viable health at home. Hundreds of people are hungry or cold or sick
in our own communities, and these are the people we should be learning about; learning
about them so we can then reach out and Care for them – reach out with Kindness to ease
their burdens in any small way we can.
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