Tim Ryan (3)

I’d had this book sitting on my “to be read” shelf for a few weeks now, and after the horrific shootings in Newtown, CT – I picked it up in a desperate attempt to focus on something positive.

In some parts, I felt that Congressman Tim Ryan had written this book just for dark times in our country just like these. “We are fundamentally good. Our basic nature is not unadulterated self-indulgence and consumption. Our spirit is not violent. Our soul does not desire that we get rich by any means necessary. The deepest part of who we are is not at peace with all of the suffering in the world and the systems that perpetuate it. We all wince when we see someone suffering in our midst or even on the computer or television screen. When we hear the news of a shooting spree in a public place, there is not only terror, there is genuine compassion and concern.”

This book works as a salve for someone trying to find their way out of all of the bad news, out of all of the stress and negativity of everyday life. Ryan makes such an excellent point when he talks about how most of us load up on negativity every day, even before we leave our homes in the morning. “We have our coffee as we flip through the newspaper in print or online. More bad news, with a laundry list of local problems like school levies not passing, libraries closing, and a local factory shutting down. We have barely finished our first cup and we have been inundated with negative information. We are off on the wrong foot. We have ripped out of the present moment and are thinking about something that is not happening directly to us or in need of immediate attention at that moment.”

As the further details about this shooting come to light – I keep trying to focus on Ryan’s advice to “Be mindful” – “follow your breath”. I am not sure how long this will last – but I take these words with me as I try and muddle through these dark times.… (mehr)