CNN has a countdown clock on their screen 24/7 for the last few days, counting down to the August 2nd deadline for a deal on whether or not the US would raise our debt ceiling. It’s the talk of the town, from DC to Shanghai, apparently. Can you believe this? I mean, seriously? We need a clock counting down to potential disaster? Come on…Really?
My problem is not with the debt issue and that’s not the point of this post. BUT, I do have a problem with this debt countdown clock. Do we really need to feed this uncertainty and notion of complete disorder and disarray going on in our lives? Do we really need to be reminded every second that our country could go into default? My feeling is: NO. 
Sure, I care about our country’s debt and our ability to fund our commitments but is it really necessary to feed this hysteria? I don’t think so.
So I’m going to try something I’ve never done except for when I go on vacation. And that is, I will make a promise to myself to ignore it all. I will not listen to or read the news until August 3rd. I am choosing to ignore it. There’s enough anxiety out there in the real world I am living in that frankly I don’t need more anxiety brought on by this media driven cataclysmic economic event that is supposed to happen on Aug. 2nd.
I can’t control it. I have no influence on this huge event that’s supposed to take place. My opinion about it does not matter one bit. Sure I may be affected by it but I can’t control it and I can’t do anything about it. So, why worry about it? I will not read or watch the news and simply ignore it. I will use my time that I would have spent thinking and talking about it in a more productive way that helps me feel better. To use the time to do something important. Working. Living life. Playing with my kids and focusing on the here and now. Because at the end of the day, life will go on. The world has survived worst times. We’ve gotten through more uncertain times from world wars to epidemics to economic disasters. We’ve survived them all. We’ll survive this debt ceiling crisis. Life will go on. So, I’m not going to worry about it.
[Rule#6 Be Present]
