A call for more joy in life!

Hello, everyone,

I’ve noticed that bad news is constantly bombarding me everywhere I go. Whether I turn on the TV or not… every news broadcast is filled with countless negative, fear-mongering messages (COVID-19, war, sanctions, threats, crime…). The numbers, warnings, and images are searing themselves into my soul.

When I watch a movie, commercials interrupt it countless times to remind me of all the things I should buy to make sure I’m doing well. All kinds of medications against every threat lurking around me. Sometimes the latest negative news flashes up on the right side of the screen or at the bottom of the ticker. I don’t have a chance to immerse myself in the movie’s plot and relax for even a little while.

When I think, “Well, I’ll just sit down at the computer,” it’s no different. Before I can even open my inbox, disaster news updated every minute hits me with big letters and disturbing images. Even if I don’t want to, it jumps out at me and demands my attention until the inbox opens.  So, off with the computer again. Just listening to the radio doesn’t work either, because even there I’m bombarded with bad news every hour or half-hour. So, off with the radio.

Okay, I’ve had enough of this now. I don’t want negative news pelting at me all day long anymore. I’m going on strike! I don’t want to consume negative news anymore, because it’s not good for me in the long run. From now on, I’m only going to watch fairy tale movies on DVD, listen to Christmas music or other music on CD, read good books, cook myself something nice, knit, or look at old family photos.

It bothers me that the people around me are getting sadder and sadder. Christmas is in a few days, but no one is looking forward to it. When was the last time you met a happy or joyful person? Life—in which everyone has exactly the lifespan intended for them—just keeps going—regardless of whether we’ve laughed, loved, been happy, sad, depressed, or afraid. In the end, you don’t get an extension of your life just because you didn’t live it to the fullest. Life is happening right now, in every moment!

I can’t change the problems of this world. But I object to the fact that there’s nothing but bad news these days. I object to the lack of optimism being spread, to the fact that joy is slowly fading from every person! That’s why I’ve decided that from now on, I’ll only take note of what’s absolutely necessary, and otherwise live a “media-free” life. I don’t want the bad news to overshadow my zest for life anymore.

Have you done something for yourself today? What has made you happy today? Who have you said something kind to? Don’t let negative news rob you of your zest for life! Zest for life is contagious. Share some of it with others so that their lives, too, can become “brighter” again. Maybe my post will be a little nudge for you to enjoy life—despite the circumstances.

It’s possible that at some point in my life, circumstances will arise that aren’t pleasant, or that dampen my zest for life, or even bring me down completely. But in any case, I’ll have lived until then!

Warm regards from Ina

Ina, you’ve brought up something very important, but I can help you with the computer: download an ad blocker, and that way you can block every ad, no matter how negative it might be. I have one on all my devices, from my desktop to my laptop and tablet. These days, we often avoid channels with commercial breaks, and when we do watch TV, we stick to commercial stations—that way, there aren’t interruptions every 10 minutes. Often, we just leave the TV off and focus on our hobbies; I’ll play some Christmas music on YouTube from my laptop. Because we feel the same way you do—we’re more than fed up with the constant negative whining. But my motto is still this: **Life is beautiful! No one ever said it would be easy.**
With that in mind, have a wonderful Christmas week and nothing but positive thoughts

Best regards, Inge

Thanks, Inge, for your post and the tip about the ad blocker. I’ll give it a try. I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas week, too. And thank you so much for all your interesting posts about sewing. They really make me want to learn how to sew or get more involved with it.

Warm regards, Ina

The things mentioned in this thread are the reasons why it’s so important to me to build a strong community here. The negative things may not be able to be turned off or ignored, but if there’s reliable solidarity, then hopefully it’ll be easier.

As for bad news, I don’t block it out—but I let it pass me by.
I haven’t listened to the radio in a long time.
If I’m in the mood for music, I listen to it on YouTube.
I’m good at tuning out commercials or making fun of them.

Yes, Josefa, you’re right. Solidarity is important, and it gives us hope in difficult times. I think it’s wonderful how our community here on CP has grown closer together, especially lately. You can find entertainment, inspiration, like-minded people, and advice; you can share new things, get inspired, present your own ideas, or just chat—or even say, “Hi, I’m not feeling well today.” Then you’re comforted. That’s wonderful!

But I miss that sense of joy among people in real life. And I want to counteract that by reflecting on the negative news we consume every day—whether intentionally or just in passing. Just take a closer look at what’s good for me and what isn’t. Is this information important to me, and do I really need to listen to it or watch it? And let’s cut out what isn’t good for us as much as possible, and enjoy and cultivate what does us good with all our senses.

With that in mind, I’m going to head to my couch now, pop in a DVD, and knit for a bit. Later, I’ll take a relaxing aromatherapy bath, light a few candles, and unwind.

Have a wonderful 4th Advent evening, everyone.
Warm regards, Ina

A very good topic, dear Ina. I think about this often, too. I don’t watch the news anymore because I don’t want to get upset about things I can’t change. It’s a waste of time and energy. I focus only on the things that are important to me.  Of course, there are always unpleasant things you have to deal with, but I try to handle them differently—to stay as positive as possible. And it’s actually true that positive vibes rub off on other people. I can’t save the world, but I can do what I can within my own circle. 

Thank you, Ina, for addressing this so openly here. I think we’re all feeling much the same way. Your words touch me deeply, because we, too, notice this sadness that’s spreading.

We feel the same as Imelda. It does me a world of good to engage in creative activities and simply listen to beautiful music. I often listen to the music from “Soothing Relaxation” on YouTube. There’s just an ad at the beginning, which I can “skip” after 5 seconds. After that, it’s just beautiful music for several hours. It does me a world of good.

We also watch DVDs and enjoy them. Our many CDs are in use every day, too. TV and radio—we gave those up years ago because they’re just annoying—for the reasons mentioned. Audiobooks are also a delight, as is reading good books. That’s still part of my daily routine.

It’s there—that joy—deep within us. It’s just hibernating a little. The day after tomorrow is the winter solstice, and then the days will start getting longer again. We can already look forward to spring a little… and dream about it. That feels good, too. Sometimes it’s also just nice to put on some upbeat music and dance to it. Everyone will find their own ways to do that.

I’m also very grateful that we’ve found each other here and can share how we’re doing. I think that’s especially important during this time.

I wish you—and myself—a wonderful week full of miracles. :)

Warm regards
Monika

** Life is beautiful! Nobody ever said it would be easy **

That’s really a great saying! I came up with my very own personal philosophy of life very early on, which allows me to see almost only the beautiful things: I’m blonde, so I can only count to 3, and that’s perfectly enough.
There are only 3 things/situations in life: 1. the ones I like, 2. the ones I don’t care about, and 3. the ones I don’t like. I enjoy the ones I like, the ones I don’t care about can be ignored, and the less pleasant things are divided into two groups: 1. I can’t change them, 2. I can change them.
I accept the former; it’s not always easy, but there’s no point in fighting it. And the latter are changed immediately.
That takes you—and me—quite far, and right now it’s helping a lot.
COVID-19 is annoying enough as it is, but on top of that, all the other illnesses and problems just keep happening, and things are really piling up for us right now. But despite that, we still find reasons to laugh, love, and enjoy life together. And eventually, things will get better again—I’m absolutely certain of that.

Well, Veronika, there’s really something to that saying, and so I’ll never forget it, I had it embroidered and hung it on the wall above my computer in my sewing room.


Love, Inge

All I can say is: “Thank you, Ina!”
Sometimes you just need a moment of self-reflection to turn the negative into the positive... Have a wonderful, relaxing week filled with love, my dears!!!!

Warm regards from Artland
Birgit

Hello,

I receive the newsletter from Crazypatterns and haven’t really been active here before, but when I just read this post in the newsletter, I had to sign up right away and wanted to thank you for your post. So there are others like me out there :-).
Unfortunately, I don’t knit nearly enough, even though I’d love to do it more—my UFOs speak for themselves. I’m into various forms of energy healing and consciousness work.
There’s a website called “Good News; Good News Movement, Pubity, etc.” I’m also active on some social media platforms, where I either look at knitting projects or check out relaxing and funny stuff and food.
Life is also what we make of it. We’re also allowed to take it easy and retreat into a comfort bubble. I view what’s presented in the news and newspapers as a kind of play, and whatever I don’t want to see, I turn off or don’t even turn on in the first place. I know that all these things exist, but I don’t necessarily have to look at everything. Most of the time, as has been mentioned here before, you can’t change it anyway, so why bother with it?
My husband has been retired since early 2020, and we used to have a daily newspaper. At some point, I forbade him to read it anymore and asked him to cancel the subscription—partly because of the price increase. It wasn’t good for him, and therefore not good for me either.
I also watch a ton of movies, though we stream them… often while cooking or doing housework. I also still go to work and have very nice coworkers there, and of course our daughter (19, in vocational training), with whom I have a lot of fun. For several years now, we’ve been listening to K-pop together, among other things; Marvel movies are also our thing, and that’s nice, too.
So, I hope I was able to make a positive contribution here, and I’d like to thank Schnuckelina again for her post.
Wishing us all a wonderful Christmas week—and may we not let ourselves get too distracted by the drama going on out there.

Hi everyone, I’m new here and just took a look at the forum out of curiosity. Your post, Ina, really spoke to me right away.
I also try to stand up against frustration and discord and greet everyone with a smile and kindness whenever possible. Most of the time, a smile comes back, and that brightens up my days, too. 
When I’m doing crafts, I often just listen to music I like or watch a recorded movie—that way, I can skip the commercials. In times like these, we have to take care of ourselves and nurture our souls.
With that in mind, I’m sending a ray of sunshine your way and wishing everyone here a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year.
Warm regards
Sanibonani

Ina’s post really resonated with me, too. It’s so nice to read that I’m not alone in my thoughts.

I’ve been trying for some time now to live in my own little world—for my children, my partner, and for people who appreciate it. I feel at home here. I can’t save the world, nor can I ward off evil. But at the end of my journey, I’ll be able to say that I didn’t contribute to much suffering and that I had a wonderful time.

I feel better when I stop reading the news. We’ve been watching movies without commercials for a long time now. There’s a lot I don’t know, but I don’t really care about that anymore either. I seek out information about what’s important to me. You don’t really need much to be content.

Do what makes you happy. For me, it’s crafts, a walk through the fields, watching the birds at the feeder, and an afternoon with my grandson.

Take care of yourselves and enjoy the run-up to Christmas. It’s just a short part of the year, and yet it’s so wonderful. 

Dear Ina,
you’ve summed that up perfectly. I, too, have been noticing a growing sense of gloom in myself, which is probably related to all these external influences.
Today, the sun is finally shining again. I headed out right away and went for a 12-km walk. I’m already feeling better.
Wishing you all a peaceful and wonderful time.
Stay healthy and optimistic.

Petra

I take the negative stuff to bed with me at night. Then I can’t switch off and toss and turn from one side to the other. 
Have a lovely time 

Best wishes, Gabi 

I know what you mean, Gabi. These days, though, I only concern myself with problems that affect me personally or my family. I do take note of the world’s problems, but I let them roll off my back.
 As Ina quite rightly says, I can’t solve them anyway.
And of course: bad news has always been more interesting than good news. The problem these days is simply that, thanks to the internet, we find out about everything and anything from all over the world instantly. And this flood of bad news makes us feel discouraged and depressed. That’s why I only check the news once a day now, because I do want to stay informed. 

Thank you all so much for your very personal posts. Each one contained valuable tips on how to protect yourself from too much negative news and maintain your zest for life. Ultimately, I suppose everyone has to find their own way of doing this. The important thing is not to bottle things up inside, but—just as I’m doing here in this thread—to simply let your heart speak. This shows us that we’re not alone with our worries. Let’s continue to be there for one another, listen to each other, give each other time and attention, and encourage one another.

I wish you all a particularly wonderful day.

Warm regards from Ina