We hear a lot about fake news these days, don’t we? On TV, on Social Media, there are even documentaries on Fake News. During the pandemic, we have been quarantined, working from home, isolated, and in many ways just plain bored. This has led us to spend more time watching TV, Netflix, and scrolling, to name a few of our strategies.
The thing about Fake News is we tend to believe what we think and hear. So think about it, it is on TV, it is breaking news, it goes into our brains and minds and we don’t even stop to consider if it is true or not. Facebook and other social media have back-end algorithms based on our preferences and so we are sent ads and other information to further our beliefs that what we hear is true. Don’t believe me? Try googling, hmmm, tiddlywinks, pretty soon you will be seeing information about tiddlywinks popping up in e-mails, articles, and thinly disguised ads. All designed to reinforce what we believe, even and maybe especially if it is Fake News. The result, we believe it.
The remarkable thing is our own thoughts and minds deliver us Fake News, all day long. I know, sounds weird, doesn’t it? Consider this, we have somewhere around 60,000 thoughts a day, wild isn’t it. How many of them are true? How many do we believe? Most of our thoughts are in effect Fake News. Oh, it is Monday…. gonna be a bad day. Oh, I am too tired to do that task…She didn’t smile at me she must be mad… see what I mean? It goes on and on all day long upwards of 60,000 times a day, mostly without any fact-checking. And we believe our thoughts and we can make ourselves miserable and stressed because we believe our thoughts.
The GREAT news, not fake either, is that we can change our thoughts. Read that again we can change our thoughts. Literally, like waving a magic wand. And when we change our thoughts, guess what we feel better, immediately. So, try Hey it’s Monday gonna be a great day, I am tired and I can still do that task, ah she didn’t smile I hope she is OK. See the shifts in energy and mood. See how our very own minds work like fake news?
I suggest doing your own fact checking throughout the day. Follow this model:
What are the facts?
It is Monday
What are your thoughts?
I love Mondays vs I hate Mondays.
Hint. Your thoughts are not the facts. The facts are the facts. Monday is a fact, hating or loving Mondays is a thought you have about the facts. Very important distinction.
You get to choose what you think. You really do. Don’t believe everything you think. Try it and let me know how it goes.
Warmly,
Susy Giddy
