16 JUN 2026.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the news. Every hour brings another crisis, another outrage, another headline screaming for your attention. Social media amplifies fear, cable television monetizes anxiety and algorithms are designed to keep you engaged, not informed. Before long, you begin to feel as though the world is collapsing and that every event demands an immediate emotional response.
But remember this: news is not reality. News is a curated selection of events, chosen because they are unusual, dramatic or alarming. Millions of people are going to work, raising families, helping neighbors and living peaceful lives while the headlines focus almost exclusively on conflict and catastrophe. If all you consume is news, you may develop a distorted sense of the world around you.
It is perfectly acceptable to step back. You do not have to know everything instantly. You do not have to have an opinion on every controversy. Staying informed is important, but preserving your mental and emotional equilibrium is just as important.
Choose a few trusted sources. Limit doom-scrolling. Read deeply rather than endlessly. Spend time with people face to face. Go outside. Exercise. Read history and remember that humanity has endured wars, depressions, pandemics and political upheavals before. The present moment often feels unprecedented, but very little truly is.
Most importantly, focus on what you can control. You cannot single-handedly solve every problem in the world, but you can improve your corner of it. You can be kind, curious, engaged and resilient.
The news cycle is relentless. Your mind doesn’t have to be. Sometimes the wisest response to chaos is not panic, but perspective.
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Anne Murray’s A Little Good News is a heartfelt 1983 anthem about yearning for hope amid relentless bad headlines. The song captures a universal desire to hear something uplifting in a world dominated by conflict and anxiety. Its timeless message and Murray’s warm, reassuring delivery helped make it a Grammy-winning classic that still resonates deeply with listeners today and beyond.
Anne Murray – A Little Good News
Music video by Anne Murray performing A Little Good News.© 1983 Universal Music Canada Inc.
Amen!! I love this and will share it widely. I truly believe we need to be aware of, and avoid manipulation. I am surrounded by kindness and compassion, and do my best to reciprocate.
My prayer in the morning is to help me focus on compassion, kindness, and humility.