The Fear Monster News Network
Happy Fear Monster Friday everyone!
This week was a sad week in the news. With the loss of Robin Williams, I was actually a little surprised at how much it affected me. I sat down on Monday to watch my favorite movies of his, and crying to "Friend Like Me" in Aladdin was definitely a new experience. I was singing along through messy tears, thinking, "You're right, Robin! There was nobody else like you!"
Granted, aside from my father, Robin Williams was probably the man I've loved the longest. Ever since "Mork and Mindy," he made me laugh. I grew up with his wacky sense of humor. So I feel like my tears were justified.
But this all reminded me of why I tend to just ignore the news. (I know I was picking on Fox News in this comic, but the joke wouldn't have worked as well if the MSNBC peacock was reporting.) The news, for the most part, is nothing but fear, fear, fear, and then if you're lucky, they'll have a 30 second story about a lost puppy getting rescued at the end. Maybe. But it's all just food for your fear monster to feed off of.
I believe the stuff you think will have a direct impact on the quality of your life. If you're feeding your brain with 24 hours of live coverage of stuff to be afraid of, guess what kind of effect that's going to have on you.
Some of you are probably thinking, "How do you not watch the news? Don't you want to be informed?" Yes, I do. But I do read, and if there's something that's actually important happening, I'll hear about it elsewhere.
I'm picking on the news media, but this week, I would encourage you to think about the stuff you're putting into your brain. Whether it's TV, books, music, or even the people you hang out with, be mindful of how these things make you feel. And if it's feeding your fear monster, try to find something more uplifting, or just walk away. (And turn the TV off! Saves on your energy bill too.)
Sending you lots of love,
Jillian