Sunday, April 19, 2020

Picking Myself Back Up and Daring Greatly


Yesterday I had an emotional crash and burn. I feel double whammied lately with the constant hammering of COVID-19 news and politics. Every day I get up telling myself I’m going to have a good day, but it doesn’t take long before some bit of news sends me crashing.

It’s hard to avoid. It’s everywhere; the little bit of radio I listen to when I first get up, to Facebook postings and headlines, to phone calls, to having donation ads or news updates pop up on TV shows. I can’t even check my weather app without an update on how many people infected in the state and how many deaths! What does that have to do with weather?

Yesterday it all got to me, I crashed, and I couldn't shake it. It was like I was/am being smothered in all the liberal bullshit and hatred and now the constant info about COVID-19. I’m fighting off depression every day now. The more hatred and scaremongering put out for all to see, the more it permeates.

What’s kind of (not) funny is -- if the hatred bandied about these days was towards anyone of color, ethnic group, or religion, people would be screaming prejudice and discrimination. So why is it OK to do it to someone who is white and the PRESIDENT of this country?

What's hard, is I know I'm supposed to be understanding and allow people to have their own opinions, but the hatred and the constant Trump-bashing ... I don't think any president has ever gone through this. It's mean! It's disrespectful ... not only to him, but those who try to work with him, his supporters, his family and friends, AND the country! Going after the President of the United States like they have been for the past four years is dishonoring the USA and what we all stand for!

I find that disgusting, and when I think of the thousands (maybe millions) of dollars spent on this hatred campaign – monies that could have gone into programs to help Americans – it saddens me.

I’m not saying Trump is an angel. Looking back through history, not every president has been great. No leaders ever are, really – they are human, after all. But, with everything we can learn from history, you’d think our leaders should be working together to make this country great! Yes, there will always be disagreements. Compromises need to be made. However, what’s going on now isn’t making our country great, it’s breaking it.

The country is so divided, I can't see how they're getting anything good done. It’s no longer what’s good for the people, but one side against the other side. Personally, I’d rather see my tax dollars going towards programs that will actually work and help Americans.

And what's worse, this whole thing is making me hate them! (And “them” encompasses anyone who tries to harm others – and yes, I now recognize I’m sliding into being intolerant – of those who would do harm.) I wouldn't even be able to sit and have a chat with any of them because I'd get so overwhelmingly upset. Makes me want to get a gun ... and I'm not like that. I am so ashamed how the liberals have been acting ... and the bullshit programs they're pushing through on the pretense of helping people. All the pretty words and meaningless promises, that if you really think about it, are impossible to bring to fruition. Yet people fall for it.

It's making me feel less compassionate towards people. And that they're actually promoting bringing socialism ... To me, socialism is another blindfold to the people giving more power to those in control. It sounds wonderful on paper, but it has never worked in reality.

I'm feeling better about things this morning and I'm working through this. I don't know if I'm getting less tolerant as I get older or if I'm seeing things with more open eyes now. It's definitely making me less tolerant of stupidity and lies and deceit and ... George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and "1984" come to mind and is coming true.

I don't know if I dare write how I feel ... Dare Greatly, right? But I'm always afraid of being slammed for speaking up. But, isn't it time the other side speaks up more? Isn't it time people call them out for their hatemongering? Will I be isolating myself even more if I speak my truth?

But if I think of living wholeheartedly, I need to be comfortable speaking my truth. Living wholeheartedly doesn’t mean I need to be ashamed when I have not-so-good feelings. It means daring greatly to talk about it, to work through it, to understand not only my beliefs, but see where others come from, too. It means daring greatly to climb out on that uncomfortable limb to look at why and admit my struggles.

If we all strived to live wholeheartedly, how might we change some of the negativity? How might we understand one another and learn to work better together? That doesn’t mean we have to like everything others do and say, but when we understand where they are coming from, it might make us a little more tolerant.

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