Sounds like a really illogical question, right? Or at least it seems like the answer is a pretty straight forward, NO! Yet that is what I hear from journalists that I talk to. You see a majority of them I have spoken with say they are in journalism to help change the world, in a positive way, but how is that possible when most of what they report on is negative?
It has been proven in numerous psychological studies that people exposed to negative images will have negative thoughts about the world. That seems logical to me. If you are constantly bombarded with negative images, it has to have an effect and not a positive one. I have yet to hear anyone say, after watching the news, "Well that was refreshing!" No, what I usually hear is "That was depressing!"
Why is it spiritual teachers will tell you that the easiest and quickest way to improve your life is to not watch the news? It's because most of the news programming is filled with negative images and stories.
Advertisers understand that their commercials have a psychological effect on consumers which, is why commercials are filled with mostly positive images and/or beneficial suggestions that appeal to consumers in some way. Buy this car and you will be powerful or help the environment. Drink this drink or use this body wash and you will attract the opposite sex.
Why is it then that journalists do not seem to get it? They constantly report on the negative and wonder why people are so negative. I know we do get the occasional feel good story of the day but shouldn't the reporting of the "good" news be the norm if we want to change the world for the better?
The next question I have is, when did all this start? Has the news always been negative? If so, what do we need to do to create a paradigm shift in journalism? If not, when did it start? How did it start? And, how do we change it?
I really believe the shift has to come from the journalists and journalism schools themselves. Someone, somewhere has got to recognize that they are source of the problem and do something to create the shift. Don't get me wrong, I know bad things happen but not to the extent that it is portrayed.
I had to chuckle at the headlines I saw this morning after Hilliary Clinton's speech last night. Personally, I am not a big Hillary fan but she delivered a powerful, uplifting, emotional and positive speech of her support for Barack Obama. But what were the headlines I saw today? Hillary Did Not Do Enough to Convince Her Supporters and Hillary Not Persuasive Enough. I have an idea, how about these headlines? Hillary Tells Supporters to Throw Their Full Support to Obama or Hillary Supports Obama All The Way.
I know if we all start to focus on what is good with life, our community, our country and our world, then we will make positive changes. Everything will get better, if we can just get people to focus on the positive.
That's all for today!
May you be blessed always and in all ways.
Harry
Showing posts with label thought. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thought. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Who is more spiritual? And is there such a thing?
In a discussion group that is part of a social networking site, someone proposed this; Put yourself to the test. Are you a "real" spiritual person? (Since the discussion first began and the person who started the discussion got heck for it, the name has since been changed.) Then he proceeded to ask us to watch a video of animals being slaughtered and say that "cruelty is not a spiritual practice.
Well, needless to say the human in me got a perturbed at the suggestions that somehow anyone is less spiritual because they choose to eat meat, thus are contributing to the cruelty towards the animals. It has been a lively discussion to say the least.
Here are my posts in the group thus far. With them I have been trying to invoke thought and further discussion. As a Spiritual person I am not judging which side is right or wrong because quite frankly there is no right or wrong, since I know for me that spirituality is a personal thing. WARNING, THIS ONE IS KINDA LONG!
OK, here goes:
I also do not mean any offense, but I have to agree with Krysteenah, your tone seems to come off like, if you do not believe what I believe, you are not very spiritual.
First of all, I believe the beautiful thing about spirituality is that there is no dogma, religious rules, ceremonies, etc. It is a personal one on one relationship with the Universe (Creator, Great Spirit, God, etc). Spiritual people do not judge and really are not interested in how spiritual others are. We do not have arbitrary rules (the whole no meat on Friday former Catholic rule that was eventually changed by man) about what we can and cannot eat and we do not need commandments or even laws to tell us how to treat one another. We just know!
In my humble opinion spiritual people do not get caught up in all the drama and discussions about religion because it is irrelevant and redundant and really does not matter. We also do not impose our thoughts on others, we simply share ideas about what we believe to be the truth for us and let others find their way.
I do have some questions at this point just to provoke some thought and friendly discussion.
Why would "God" provide something to us that will nourish us physically and not want us to use it? If that is the case, what exactly is the purpose of a beef cow, other than to produce methane gas? And why make some beef cows and some dairy cows?
Where does one draw the line as to what is OK to eat to be spiritual? Could it be that anything grown under ground is considered dirty and so should not be eaten? And finally, there is one religion out there that according to their religious writings, God said "Everything in moderation", not some things, everything but, everything, so does that make those who follow that religion less spiritual if they eat meat?
Here is my philosophy of life: I do not care what you call yourself, love one another. If all this makes me less spiritual in someone else's eyes, that is for them to deal with, not me. Also, it will be painfully obvious that you are not getting the whole conversation.
May you be blessed always and in all ways.
Now, my second post:
Otter, You raise some interesting points but what I choose to eat should not be the basis on how spiritual I am.
I will agree that there has to be better, more humane ways to allow those of us to eat meat and perhaps more should be done to make it so.
And my last one so far:
Agingstoner, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Now, please do not take my passion for this subject as me being defensive. I am just pushing the envelope here to provoke further thought and discussion. I am glad that you do not agree with everything I have to say, that is your right and quite frankly the way it should be. Now, please allow me some indulgence. Thanks!
Quite frankly,I believe you missed the whole point of my post. I was not trying to show my animal husbandry knowledge (IN HIS POST HE BLUNTLY TOLD ME THAT BEEF AND DAIRY COWS WERE NOT CREATED BY GOD BUT BY MAN, FOR ME THAT WAS ANOTHER SUBJECT FOR A DIFFERENT DAY), which obviously is a little rusty. LOL
What I was trying to say is that spirituality is in fact personal and no one has the right to judge me in any way as to how spiritual I am. That is between me and ____ (God, Great Spirit, Universe, The Creator, etc).
I also noticed that you conveniently did not address my question about where does one draw the line as to what is OK to eat to be spiritual.
I might think that eating things grown in the earth is not being spiritual because they are dirty. Absurd, right? Now, does that make me more spiritual because of what I think? I can say that no it does not. I mean plants that are consumed by vegetarians are also living things that we kill to eat. So, I guess the killing of one living thing is alright but not the other? Isn't killing, well, killing? And if we agree that all killing of any living thing is wrong, what would we eat? How would we survive? Once again I am taking this to the point of almost absurdity but where do we draw the line?
Native Americans thanked and blessed everything they killed or used to survive. The animals, the plants, the rocks, everything. Does that make them more spiritual? If I thank everything I consume, will I be more spiritual?
I agree with Mary, that the stuff in this video is appalling and you can say that by my eating meat I am condoning it but regardless no human being has the right to judge me on my level of spirituality. I am passionate about this subject because it is this judging that has led to one human being feeling that they are superior to another, which in turn has led to all the countless horrors we have unleashed on one another and the earth.
Once again, I do not care what you call yourself, love one another.
May you be blessed always and in all ways.
OK, that's it so far. So, what do you think? Please share your thoughts but try to do it in a loving, non judgemental manner. Will that make your more spiritual? I d not know, that is between you and your God.
Blessings!
Harry
Well, needless to say the human in me got a perturbed at the suggestions that somehow anyone is less spiritual because they choose to eat meat, thus are contributing to the cruelty towards the animals. It has been a lively discussion to say the least.
Here are my posts in the group thus far. With them I have been trying to invoke thought and further discussion. As a Spiritual person I am not judging which side is right or wrong because quite frankly there is no right or wrong, since I know for me that spirituality is a personal thing. WARNING, THIS ONE IS KINDA LONG!
OK, here goes:
I also do not mean any offense, but I have to agree with Krysteenah, your tone seems to come off like, if you do not believe what I believe, you are not very spiritual.
First of all, I believe the beautiful thing about spirituality is that there is no dogma, religious rules, ceremonies, etc. It is a personal one on one relationship with the Universe (Creator, Great Spirit, God, etc). Spiritual people do not judge and really are not interested in how spiritual others are. We do not have arbitrary rules (the whole no meat on Friday former Catholic rule that was eventually changed by man) about what we can and cannot eat and we do not need commandments or even laws to tell us how to treat one another. We just know!
In my humble opinion spiritual people do not get caught up in all the drama and discussions about religion because it is irrelevant and redundant and really does not matter. We also do not impose our thoughts on others, we simply share ideas about what we believe to be the truth for us and let others find their way.
I do have some questions at this point just to provoke some thought and friendly discussion.
Why would "God" provide something to us that will nourish us physically and not want us to use it? If that is the case, what exactly is the purpose of a beef cow, other than to produce methane gas? And why make some beef cows and some dairy cows?
Where does one draw the line as to what is OK to eat to be spiritual? Could it be that anything grown under ground is considered dirty and so should not be eaten? And finally, there is one religion out there that according to their religious writings, God said "Everything in moderation", not some things, everything but, everything, so does that make those who follow that religion less spiritual if they eat meat?
Here is my philosophy of life: I do not care what you call yourself, love one another. If all this makes me less spiritual in someone else's eyes, that is for them to deal with, not me. Also, it will be painfully obvious that you are not getting the whole conversation.
May you be blessed always and in all ways.
Now, my second post:
Otter, You raise some interesting points but what I choose to eat should not be the basis on how spiritual I am.
I will agree that there has to be better, more humane ways to allow those of us to eat meat and perhaps more should be done to make it so.
And my last one so far:
Agingstoner, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Now, please do not take my passion for this subject as me being defensive. I am just pushing the envelope here to provoke further thought and discussion. I am glad that you do not agree with everything I have to say, that is your right and quite frankly the way it should be. Now, please allow me some indulgence. Thanks!
Quite frankly,I believe you missed the whole point of my post. I was not trying to show my animal husbandry knowledge (IN HIS POST HE BLUNTLY TOLD ME THAT BEEF AND DAIRY COWS WERE NOT CREATED BY GOD BUT BY MAN, FOR ME THAT WAS ANOTHER SUBJECT FOR A DIFFERENT DAY), which obviously is a little rusty. LOL
What I was trying to say is that spirituality is in fact personal and no one has the right to judge me in any way as to how spiritual I am. That is between me and ____ (God, Great Spirit, Universe, The Creator, etc).
I also noticed that you conveniently did not address my question about where does one draw the line as to what is OK to eat to be spiritual.
I might think that eating things grown in the earth is not being spiritual because they are dirty. Absurd, right? Now, does that make me more spiritual because of what I think? I can say that no it does not. I mean plants that are consumed by vegetarians are also living things that we kill to eat. So, I guess the killing of one living thing is alright but not the other? Isn't killing, well, killing? And if we agree that all killing of any living thing is wrong, what would we eat? How would we survive? Once again I am taking this to the point of almost absurdity but where do we draw the line?
Native Americans thanked and blessed everything they killed or used to survive. The animals, the plants, the rocks, everything. Does that make them more spiritual? If I thank everything I consume, will I be more spiritual?
I agree with Mary, that the stuff in this video is appalling and you can say that by my eating meat I am condoning it but regardless no human being has the right to judge me on my level of spirituality. I am passionate about this subject because it is this judging that has led to one human being feeling that they are superior to another, which in turn has led to all the countless horrors we have unleashed on one another and the earth.
Once again, I do not care what you call yourself, love one another.
May you be blessed always and in all ways.
OK, that's it so far. So, what do you think? Please share your thoughts but try to do it in a loving, non judgemental manner. Will that make your more spiritual? I d not know, that is between you and your God.
Blessings!
Harry
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
You Are a Teacher, Part 2.
Yesterday I wrote about all of us being a teacher and I focused on what we teach others. Today I would like to expand on that thought by turning the teaching inward. What I mean by that is while we are teaching others with our words and actions, we are also teaching ourselves.
How do we do that? Actually in the same ways we teach others, through our words and actions. Self-talk is one of the greatest teaching tools that we have in forming who we are for the rest of our lives. Especially after we leave childhood, our inner dialogue is more responsible than ever for who we are today and who we will be in the future.
Here are some questions to ask yourself: How is your inner dialogue? Do you say/think good things to yourself or are you constantly saying/thinking negative things to yourself? Do you encourage or discourage yourself? If a friend talked to you as you talk to yourself, would they still be your friend? Why do we put up with negative talk from our self when we probably would not from others?
To expand on this teaching thing a little further, how we treat ourselves teaches others how to treat us. If we are being negative towards ourselves then we are giving permission for others to treat us badly, in fact we are attracting those that treat us badly and then wonder why it happens. Like a bee is attracted to flowers because of the scent, we are sending our signals to the world (our scent) that it is OK to treat me badly because I don't really like myself anyway. The ironic thing here is that all of it is self-perpetuating. The more we think/say bad things about ourselves, the more we attract negative responses from the world, so the more we feel badly and dislike ourselves even more.
However, we can reverse the cycle by simply saying/thinking good things about ourselves. If you want to have good things happen to you then start by being a better friend to you. Then you will attract positive people who will treat you right, which in turn will build your self-esteem and self-confidence. Since at this point you are feeling better about you, then you will think/say good things about you and in turn you will continue to attract positive things. Once again it is self-perpetuating and will continue to feed upon itself.
Our words and thoughts are powerful things and they can lead us down two very different paths. One path of joy, love, happiness, peace & harmony and the other path of depression, despair, guilt & misery. What path do you want to be on? It is all up to you and you are teaching yourself and the world which path you will ultimately be on.
Well, that's it for today. I'll be back soon with more Rare Sense Thoughts!
May you be blessed always and in all ways!
http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/
How do we do that? Actually in the same ways we teach others, through our words and actions. Self-talk is one of the greatest teaching tools that we have in forming who we are for the rest of our lives. Especially after we leave childhood, our inner dialogue is more responsible than ever for who we are today and who we will be in the future.
Here are some questions to ask yourself: How is your inner dialogue? Do you say/think good things to yourself or are you constantly saying/thinking negative things to yourself? Do you encourage or discourage yourself? If a friend talked to you as you talk to yourself, would they still be your friend? Why do we put up with negative talk from our self when we probably would not from others?
To expand on this teaching thing a little further, how we treat ourselves teaches others how to treat us. If we are being negative towards ourselves then we are giving permission for others to treat us badly, in fact we are attracting those that treat us badly and then wonder why it happens. Like a bee is attracted to flowers because of the scent, we are sending our signals to the world (our scent) that it is OK to treat me badly because I don't really like myself anyway. The ironic thing here is that all of it is self-perpetuating. The more we think/say bad things about ourselves, the more we attract negative responses from the world, so the more we feel badly and dislike ourselves even more.
However, we can reverse the cycle by simply saying/thinking good things about ourselves. If you want to have good things happen to you then start by being a better friend to you. Then you will attract positive people who will treat you right, which in turn will build your self-esteem and self-confidence. Since at this point you are feeling better about you, then you will think/say good things about you and in turn you will continue to attract positive things. Once again it is self-perpetuating and will continue to feed upon itself.
Our words and thoughts are powerful things and they can lead us down two very different paths. One path of joy, love, happiness, peace & harmony and the other path of depression, despair, guilt & misery. What path do you want to be on? It is all up to you and you are teaching yourself and the world which path you will ultimately be on.
Well, that's it for today. I'll be back soon with more Rare Sense Thoughts!
May you be blessed always and in all ways!
http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Random Thoughts
From time to time I am just going to post some random thoughts of mine in a effort to affect conscious reflection and thought.
Things such as:
Why is it it seems that those that profess their religion the loudest are often the ones most likely to not even live by the basic tenets of their professed religion?
Why do we waste so much time on things like gay marriage when there are so many other issues that we should concern ourselves with like hunger and homelessness?
Why is the main stream media so focused on the "bad" that happens in society and seems to be is blind to all the "good"?
Why can't we just look at one another as human beings and forget all the rest of the things that separate us from one another?
Why do wonderful shows with redeeming value like Joan of Arcadia get cancelled when others like Wife Swap and Family Guy go on and on?
Why do some parents seem to think that schools and not them are responsible for teaching their children things like manners, respect and morals?
Well that's all for this time. I am sure I will have more in the future. remember I am trying to provoke conscious thought and help to expand minds. It is never my intention to offend anyone but if you are offended by anything I have asked above maybe you need to look inside your own heart and try to figure out why the question offended you in the first place!
Things such as:
Why is it it seems that those that profess their religion the loudest are often the ones most likely to not even live by the basic tenets of their professed religion?
Why do we waste so much time on things like gay marriage when there are so many other issues that we should concern ourselves with like hunger and homelessness?
Why is the main stream media so focused on the "bad" that happens in society and seems to be is blind to all the "good"?
Why can't we just look at one another as human beings and forget all the rest of the things that separate us from one another?
Why do wonderful shows with redeeming value like Joan of Arcadia get cancelled when others like Wife Swap and Family Guy go on and on?
Why do some parents seem to think that schools and not them are responsible for teaching their children things like manners, respect and morals?
Well that's all for this time. I am sure I will have more in the future. remember I am trying to provoke conscious thought and help to expand minds. It is never my intention to offend anyone but if you are offended by anything I have asked above maybe you need to look inside your own heart and try to figure out why the question offended you in the first place!
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