So, I Don't Watch The News.

Unique Perspectives: So, I Don't Watch The News.

By Kim Stevens

For those who know me well, this won’t come as a shock; for those just getting to know me as I share my Unique Perspectives week after week, this one might surprise you: I don’t watch the news. 

I stopped – or better yet, started – the practice when I was diagnosed with cancer. Almost immediately, I knew I had to change my life and change what I let in. 

Goodbye, news. Hello, new perspectives.

The no-news rule was about exercising my power of focus. I wanted to be extremely discerning with the things I consume: what I allow my ears to hear, what I let my eyes look at, what I tell my mind it can concentrate on … 

Whenever I would watch the news, I found it took over my thoughts until I couldn’t think about anything else. Once I made the decision to focus on other things, my mind was free. 

It’s very much like consuming food and drink; eat a few unhealthy meals and wow, you’ll feel it. Eat wholesome foods, sip on nourishing beverages and your body will positively respond. 

Of course, I don’t feel great 100% of the time, but through a conscious effort to be discerning about all my consumptive practices, I’m able to pause whenever I notice myself sliding toward the negative. Then, I refocus my attention on something good, something forward-thinking, something magical and even something miraculous.

Ever since I’ve been doing this, my life has taken on a distinctly miraculous bend, and I attribute it in large part to exercising my power of focus, being discerning with my consumption and directing my attention precisely where I want it to go. And these days, if I do sense my mind wandering, I bring my thoughts right back to what I want to focus on: miracles.