I Don’t Have to Eat That

The local news broadcast was on the television this morning, as I prepared for the day. Our local reporters typically do a good job of mixing levity and positive messages with the news that is necessary to report. Today though, was different.

There was no levity or positivity today. Between their non-stop COVID-19 reporting, the reporters managed to squeeze in news of a murder and a bleak weather forecast. Even the commercials contained somber messages related to the physical and economic damage that this pandemic has caused. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer, so I switched off the TV and asked Alexa to lift my spirits with some Neil Diamond music. It was like I dumped a Swiss steak in the garbage.

As a kid, I hated Swiss steak. It wasn’t my mother’s fault – she was an excellent cook – I just really didn’t like Swiss steak, but I had to eat it. In my house, you ate what everyone else was eating.

I have had Swiss steak exactly zero times since I left home 30-plus years ago. That’s one of the benefits of being adult. I get to decide what I put in my mouth.

Likewise, because I have free will, I get to decide what I put in my head.

I don’t have to listen when media-appointed experts tell me that the world is irreparably damaged, that my college-age children might not go back to school until next year, that “things are going to get worse before they get better” and on the list goes. I don’t have to internalize gloom and pessimism, and I sure don’t have to perpetuate it.

In this time of mandated quarantining and other social restrictions, it is vitally important that we are aware of and use our free will. We might not be able to go where we want and do what we want, but we can sure choose what put in our heads.

We should also use our free will to control what comes out of our mouths. Instead of commiserating in misery, we should share gratitude and happiness with those around us. Being positive in challenging times requires more effort, but it’s worth it.

Just like we have to be especially mindful of washing our hands and careful not to expose ourselves or others to germs, we need to be mindful to avoid consuming and spreading the poisonous messages that bombard us daily. Exposure to a virus can make us physically sick, and a constant diet of negativity and fear can ruin our mental health.

I’m not saying that you should bury your head in the sand, but there are only so many times you can let negativity and pessimism clobber you over the head before you start feeling the effects. Be informed, NOT influenced.

If you feel anxious, upset or angry when you’re watching a television program, having a conversation or browsing social media, do something else. There are Web sites, television programs and conversations that can benefit, instead of harm your well-being. You could also immerse yourself in a good book, listen to an old album or do something physical. There are a lot of options for positivity if you’re willing to be creative.

If given the choice, I’ll never eat Swiss steak again, and you don’t have to either.