I have a routine. Every morning, I have breakfast while I watch one of the morning news shows. Usually, I have the sound off and just read the crawlers to get an overview of what's happening in the world. Occasionally, I listen to a whole story or go online to find out more details. But mostly, the headlines are all that I can handle. It's hard to process all the reported tragedies in the world, whether they are caused by man or nature.
I read once that it is normal to be overwhelmed with the amount of bad news we are exposed to these days. At one point, news traveled by messenger on foot from village to village, and it would sometimes take days to arrive. Biologically, our brains have not evolved much past that stage. So, of course, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the constant barrage of news available today. (And I won't even talk about the misinformation and bias that we have to sort through.)
I can occasionally do something to help in a bad situation that I see on the news, such as donating to an organization with feet on the ground, but mostly, the best I can do is fret. So how do I handle this situation? I must admit that my first coping mechanism is to bury my head in the sand and not focus on the world's problems. I am a fairly empathetic person, so this is easier said than done.
But mostly, I think about what I can do to make the day better for those around me, hoping for a ripple effect. Maybe one of those ripples will reach someone I don't know. I start with little things. I try to make eye contact, smile, and say hi to the people I meet.* Included with is idea is to be polite and respectful to any service people who help me. I also offer to reach things (my long arms come in handy sometimes) or carry items for people. Simple things that most of us do but are usually appreciated. I know I appreciate these gestures.
This all comes down to kindness which happens to be the focus this summer at work. Next time, I'll tell you a bit about that. And speaking of work, I better stop now so I won't be late.
Until next time...
*Disclaimer here. I know eye contact is not the respectful thing to do in some cultures, and if you're from a big city, you might find it odd if a stranger said hi to you. I had a friend who came to this country for college and was very confused about why people said hi to her when they didn't know her. Anyway, I try to read the situation as best I can and act accordingly.
