Influence

When I came through the door last night I asked my family how they were (just like I do every night). They were sitting in the living room watching the evening news. "We're suffering from diarrhea, constipation, low testosterone, and diabetes", they answered.

We all had a good laugh.

But here's the sad truth . . . in the evening TV is full of pharmaceutical companies trying to sell us drugs and in the morning it's full of lawyers trying to help us sue pharmaceutical companies for the side effects. On top of that we become so desensitized to the content of these advertisements that we don't even blush when the woman in the ad starts talking about erectile dysfunction as she seductively slides across the bedspread in her slinky night gown and come hither stare. (Please, someone, anyone, cover the children's eyes!)

This is how violence, mayhem, mistreatment of others, and things that would normally be unacceptable become accepted. Think about it. How many murder shows can you see in one night and not be affected? Not become numb to it?

All this habitual exposure is making us less compassionate and loving people. We're defensive, argumentative, and agitated. The funny part is we don't even know why, but believe you me the companies that are selling stuff know why because when we're uncomfortable or agitated we purchase stuff that we hope will make us feel better. When we're loved, comfortable, and happy we don't need anything else.

I say we kick the chair out from under these companies and spend more time doing the things that help us walk more gently, speak more kindly, and hold each other more lovingly. We need to understand that we have tremendous power to influence the world when we protect and care for our fellow travelers be they animal vegetable or mineral, like us or different, known to us or unknown.

It's time we became the influencer and not just the influenced.