Collective Energy Wasted

Today I am grateful for word games on my phone that give me a little break and also keep my brain sharp. I am also grateful that I can read and that it came easily to me. 

Though I sure appreciate reading ability, I pick and choose what I do read. Now more than ever. We are bombarded with articles, updates, editorials, statistics, and more from several different sources, updated moment by moment. I want to stay informed, but I also see it as my civic duty and being socially responsible. I have always thought that, but the sense of duty is intensified in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Less partisan, more fact-based reading gives me the nuts and bolts I need to know as far as next steps for my family and I. That is where it starts for me. But there's also my job and other interests and pursuits in my life that are heavily impacted by the pandemic. So much is heavily impacted. 

And then there is the divisive bickering, lack of civility, and wide chasms further widening that are all painfully obvious with just a few minutes of reviewing headlines from major news outlets. It's tempting to get sucked into the latest video gone viral or to read a quote from well-known people and shake my disgruntled head. 

What good does that do? I may feel an air of superiority for a moment, or a sinking dread for a second, or an ongoing zap of energy I really could use to get some helpful things done. 

It's all about where we choose to put our energy folks. Read with caution. Proceed with care. We are wasting a ton of collective energy that we could be applying in better ways. I know I am guilty. Are you?  Let's each consider how we can approach this with a healthier balance.