This is the second in a series of articles regarding enduring depression during the pandemic.
There are some toxic items we cannot avoid. Some of these may be in our home simply as a result of relationships that are not particularly healthy. It might be a good time to strengthen those relationships.
Choose Your Content
During the pandemic all information is negative. I surveyed today's local newspaper, the Washington post, New York Times comma and USA TODAY. Over 95% of the stories had to do with the coronavirus. There is only so much bad information our brain can contain before we become mentally septic.
Turn off the spout. Choose what you will read listen to and watch. You may need to forego reading the newspaper for a few days. Negative news casts maybe something to bypass. Your love for Fox news, the financial news or CNN may need to be set aside for a time.
Conspiracy – What You Gonna Do About it?
I don't do conspiracy theories. My mindset has always been, if the conspiracy is accurate what am I going to do about it? My mind must be occupied with something I’m able to do something about. Conspiracies abound. Some may even be true.
• The Cubans conspired to kill the Kennedy brothers. What am I going to do about it?
• There was no visit to the moon. Instead the American government conspired to fool the public with a faked “moon-landing.” What am I going to about it?
• NASA and the Airforce captured aliens visiting Earth. In the interest of peace, harmony and research they conspired to keep this secret for the past 50 years. What am I going to do about it?
• The Coronavirus is the result of a conspiracy involving (take your choice here) the Chinese, the Democratic Party wanting to make a Republican President look bad, radiation from the new 5G networks, there is actually no virus at all – these obituaries are of people who were already sick and near death, a suppressed lab accident released the virus, U.S. military officials took the virus to Wuhan, the virus is designed specifically to impact Iranians, Israeli soldiers rubbed the coronavirus on some car door-handles as vehicles passed check-points leaving the country, Bill Gates did it, etc. What am I going to do about it?
Nope – not going to do it! Not in this mind. Conspiracy exhausts mental energy like chasing a sand-flea in the desert exhausts physical energy.
This is fertile soil for angst and depression.
Some Things I Do Know
There are too many things I do know to fret about a grand conspiracy. I know Jesus is coming, though I don’t know the day or hour. When He comes, I plan to be going. As the late elder said, “In regard to pre, post or mid, I’m pan. It’ll all pan out in the end.”
I do know that I’d like to have written as many books as years lived. Right now I’m 36 books behind. These days of forced quiet seem like a good time to start catching up.
I do know the Lord Jesus was not surprised by the coronavirus. If this is the result of a grand conspiracy, our Lord let the conspiracy unfold. I’ve decided to trust that He has a strategy.
Better Options
Read a book, read several. Ask David Bernard what he did while his schedule had to be abandoned. He’ll have read a few dozen books and thick books at that! The man seems to have accomplished a thing or two in his life. It might be a good model to follow.Take an online training course. My son, Lane and I have an online course on disciple-making. Broaden the perspective beyond our bit of stuff. There are inexpensive online courses on Udemy and similar platforms.
Write a book, a poem, a play or a song. You have planned too do something creative. You will never have a time when your calendar is emptier. Go for it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
You already know the coronavirus is bad. Stay away from negative people, and negative content, put on some decent music, sip on coffee or iced tea and read a good book - perhaps one of the 26 I’ve written (or even better all 26 of them). By the way, everything in our stockroom is on sale for 33% off.
For more information on how to handle pandemic inspired depression, check out an earlier blog: Prevailing Against Coronavirus Based Depression--Your Feelings Match Your Circumstances.
Check out our store, there you will find all our published books, which are now at a discount of 33%.
Also, we have a Disciple Makers workshop, find it here.
"Light in a Dark Place" is $10.79 at CarltonCoonsr.com. The kindle version is $1.99 at Amazon. If you cannot afford “Light in a Dark Place” at this time, email us at carltoncoonsr@gmail.com for a lite version that will be delivered to you.
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