I’ve spent the past, almost, 26 years in the Army; joining when I was 17. I’m all for people exercising their rights. I love it when I see it whether I agree with it or not. I have found, however, that I usually end up getting bent around the axle for some reason or another. That’s why I had to shut it off.

I used to be one of those people who listened to talk radio, daily. I’d get mad while out driving just listening to what was being said. Wondering to myself, “What happened to our country? Where did the US of the 80’s go”? I’m not naive to think that change doesn’t happened. I’m fully aware of that. I would still subject my mind to the noise the media was creating. It’s their job and that’s how they get ratings. I get it. You cannot stop change from happening. But you can always change how you think about the process of transformation. Here’s a quote from one of my favorite authors.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Viktor E. Frankl

So…that’s what I did. I stopped listening to the news and what’s going on in our government. I get bits and pieces as I choose to receive them but I stopped immersing myself in that world. The result? I can’t express how much my joy tank began to fill back up. I’ve known and heard that you are what you fill your head with. If you fill your head with nothing but positive, joyful things then that’s what you’ll emit. If you fill your head with hate, angst, etc. then that’s what you’ll become. It’s very depressing. I know that I can’t change what goes on in politics. People will say, “You can vote”! I do and I will always vote. People who know me and who follow me on Facebook know how much I used to post political stuff. I can say that this is probably the most political thing I’ve posted since the past presidential election. Another thing that’s been hard for me, but for the best, was to be more selective of who I surrounded myself with. When you are living in a world of people who think exactly like you, you’ll never grow. I have found great pleasure in surrounding myself with a more diverse group of people. People who I never thought I’d be associated with. See, the topic of just about every conversation I used to have was about guns, military, security, war, etc. It’s pretty cool when you open your mind and your discussion range from science and tech to investing or books you’re reading. That’s right, books. I haven’t read this much since I was a kid and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’m starting to ramble a bit, now, but this morning I felt the urge to just express to people how changing yourself because you cannot change external forces can be so liberating. Move with the ebb and flow in life vs trying to be a pillar that gets constantly pounded. Eventually you’ll wear down and break.

“Dictated but not read” – Abraham Lincoln