Today’s Prompt: REPEAT
I often stream CNN while I am sitting at my desk. Because I am watching the streamed version, they handle the commercial breaks differently. Often, they repeat the same commercial over and over again, three or four times.
I could tune it out (maybe), but it gets on my nerves. During election season, it has gotten on my nerves because they play a commercial for the opponent of the candidate for whom I plan to vote, and once is MORE than enough. Three times in a row puts me over the edge.
My observation: I am living with it (and complaining about it) rather than doing something. I have so many options: stream something else, listen to the radio instead, work in silence (honestly that one isn’t so appealing, but….). Yet I just harrumph through the break and wish the program would begin again.
Allowing the negative (or what is negative for us) to repeat when there are other options is a pattern that is far too easy to fall into.
A round of annoying political commercials is one thing (and those should be over in five days, blessedly), but are there other things in your life that are repeating, sucking your energy and joy as you endure them?
I have a small suggestion/challenge for the day: don’t be passive in the face of the negative repeat. Change the “channel.”
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
Hi Pam, this is so true. When we find something negatively impacting us, we are not powerless to change. We need to be intentional as this is the way in which we can protect our joy. I think this is my first time here so may I say, “Nice to meet you!” Blessings!
Great to meet you as well, Joanne!
So true! I’m so tired of the political ads too! I’m going to try and focus more on changing the channel.
Of course after writing a blog post about it, the first set of repeated commercials was a set FOR my guy, so maybe I sparked something in the universe!
Great analogy! It is too easy to put up with negative repeated words or circumstances without realising we can take action to change it.
It certainly is.
You and I were on the same “channel” today only I wrote “sing a new song”! I’m afraid I try and stay away from the news as much as possible. I know I’m like an ostrich with my head in the sand, but I’m a happy ostrich because I don’t have to listen to all that arguing! Loved your post! And I’m working at changing my channel! Cindy
Ha! I hear you. My job is reading the news, so it’s a part of my day. But what I listen to voluntarily I do have some control over.
I’m tired of the same negativity on the news. It’s like they’re one trick ponies! Grrrr….
It is.
I go with silence. I check the news often enough to know the candidates for whom I want to vote, and really, their ads are wasted on me.
#1 at FMF this week.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2018/11/your-dying-spouse-536-embracing-failure.html
An ad has NEVER changed my mind (and playing it over and over ad infinitum only serves to anger me). Thank you for stopping by, Andrew.