Do you filter what information you receive?

A friend sent me a link to watch some segments of the Rachel Maddow show today, and I chose not to. They were about topics that are dear to my heart, but I’ve recently been in the hospital and am feeling very sensitive and somewhat vulnerable.

I don’t watch television as a norm, but I do catch small bits of shows from time to time. I shy away from watching informative or opinionated shows – even the ones I agree with – because they upset me. As a person with bipolar 1, I watch my mood diligently.

I can’t do anything about most of the big topics in the world. I try to focus on what I can impact. I’m walking in the first ever AIDS walk on my island this coming Saturday. I am intimately involved in the governance of a community theater group. I vote in all elections. I write to government officials often. These are things I know I can do.

I can’t change the world, but I can change me. I can also make small contributions to my community.

Do you consume information willy nilly, or are you selective?