I confess, I consume the news as little as possible. This puzzles my sister because in my younger days I was a Poli Sci major obsessed with the world and national media and bent on making change. So I tuned in regularly to the outlets and had talking points on the main subjects of debate. But I got tired of it, really. More significantly, I found the nearly constant barrage of negative headlines were messing with my brain. I could literally feel myself deflate as I listened or watched the stories roll by. So, I’ve realized it’s not good for me to consume too much of it at one time.
Every now and then I think, “maybe there will be something good today—a lost dog gets reunited with its owner, a new planet gets discovered, heck, the heads of the political parties have lunch together and share a few laughs” so I turn it on and…yeah, take another few days off from tuning in again.
I’ve decided the way to combat the pessimistic press is to make my own news for myself, create my own front-page narrative. I ask myself, “What’s the headline you want to celebrate today?” I look and see that I have all kinds of options available. “Emily Logs 100th meal in a row!” or “Emily Chooses Cucumbers & Hummus for Snack instead of Crackers & Cheezwiz” or even “Emily Sits Down and Writes 500 Word Blog in an Hour!” The headlines don’t have to be as profound as Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, they just have to focus on the positive I am striving to achieve and acknowledge the steps I am taking to become the better version of myself. I don’t have to actually make it news, either—it’s fine NOT to post it on social media (it really did still happen if I don’t, I swear). But if I do choose to publish it publicly, that’s fine, too. They key is that I acknowledge to myself that I am making progress, to note that I put some sort of good into the world for either myself or another. And to do this often!
So notice what you’ve done well today, big or small. Were you brave enough to have an intimidating conversation with someone? Did you ask a friend for help? Did you have a great workout? Plan a healthy meal? These are all wins, so celebrate them! Take time to congratulate yourself and commemorate the event. You can write it on the calendar, check the box on your exercise journal or food tracker, or even give yourself a Facebook shoutout if you’re feeling it. This life is yours; claim its events as newsworthy and revel in your own glorious headlines. Just a small step toward a big change. Poco a poco, friends.
