5 Helpful Tips for Creating a Daily Spiritual Practice by Watching the News
The day after the election, I woke up fearful that it was the end of the world. It is was like a bad reality show, only it was real and there was nothing we could do to change it.
People who voted the opposite way couldn’t understand the outrage and high emotions. They said to get over it and move on. Their guy won the election. Still, it seemed like there was a darkness that loomed over us, like when Biff from Back to the Future took over.
Since then, my daily routine has been to wake up, do morning kids’ stuff, meditate, and then scroll twitter. Once I get my daily scoop of the terrifying things that happened overnight, then I can go about my day.
I know this sounds sad, but somehow I’ve managed to turn this routine into a practice of taming my emotions. A practice of staying calm and trusting the universe. And it hasn’t been easy.
Lama Surya Das says that it’s important to stay informed about current events. He calls it is a spiritual practice. The practice comes from being able to read, watch, or hear the news and staying neutral.
There is a Tibetan tale of a farmer who goes through a string of good and bad fortunes in life. Each time something happened, his neighbors would come by to console or congratulate him. And each time, he would say, “It’s neither good or bad, we’ll have to see what happens.”
Meaning, you never know what will come out of misfortune, maybe something good will happen. And vice versa.
One example of this is when the farmer’s son breaks his leg. The neighbors come by to console the father about his son’s misfortune. To which he says, “It’s neither good or bad, we’ll have to see what happens.” The next day, the army comes to pick up his son, but he can’t go because of his broken leg. Again, the neighbors come by to praise the farmer on his great luck. To which he says, “It’s neither good or bad, we’ll have to see what happens.”
The story goes on and on this way. This teaches us that we can’t get attached to any outcome because we don’t know what will happen next.
5 Helpful Tips for Creating a Daily Spiritual Practice by Watching the News
So, the next time you read, watch or hear a news story that makes you upset, sad or frustrated, follow these five tips:
- Take a deep breath, meditate, and stay neutral. Say to yourself, “It’s neither good or bad, we’ll have to see what happens.”
- If you believe that things happen for a reason, trust that the universe is taking care of everything.
- Do your research, don’t believe everything you read, see, or hear.
- Write down your feelings in your daily journal. Brainstorm ideas that can help the situation, if any.
- Talk to a friend or family member, get somebody else’s perspective.
What Do You Think?
Write your thoughts in the comments section below. Share your experience. I’d love to hear what you have to say!
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