Day 285 of 1827: Freedom from News

Happy 4th of July to my readers in the US!

Whoops; I guess I forgot about that. I tell ya; ever since I left the States, I have really not been paying attention to what’s been going on up there.

Somebody even had to remind me that 2012 was a presidential election year. I had managed to completely forget that any of that was going on — heck, even Chileans are more aware of US politics than I am!

Mostly, that is due to my views on what it means to be free. In fact, goal #5 for 2013 can tell you a lot about how I define freedom in my own life.

But also, I just can’t get excited about news or politics anymore.

I think one of the speakers at the Sovereign Man Offshore Tactics Workshop in Panama City put it very succinctly during his speech (quoting from memory; inaccuracies likely):

I look at local news kind of like I look at monkeys at the zoo flinging their poo. I stop to watch for a minute and say, “Thats interesting… and a little disgusting.” And then I get on with my life. But I can see how it would seem important to the people trapped in the cage with them!

But enough of Hipster Phoenix bragging about his anti-mainstream-ness. What does this have to do with Five Years Abroad?

Well, Five Years Abroad is fundamentally about freedom.

Not political freedom; that’s too abstract, and it’s practically unobtainable for just about everybody (at the moment, anyway).

I mean personal freedom.

The freedom to be genuine with others (and yourself) without being attacked. The freedom to pursue the kind of lifestyle that you want. The freedom to do work that you are passionate about. The freedom to create your own community.

The freedom not just to choose your path in life… but to make your own path.

For me, I can’t see how worrying about politics in a country several thousand kilometers away can help me achieve those freedoms. In fact, spending time and emotional energy focusing on things that I have no control over actually makes it more difficult for me to achieve freedom in my life.

But what good is a potentially-life-changing insight if you don’t act on it?

So, to those of you living in foreign countries who still spend a significant amount of time following the news in the country that you left (months or even years ago), I issue a challenge:

For 3 months, commit to removing news and politics from your life. Ask your friends and family not to discuss these topics with you, and make a commitment not to watch the news on television nor the internet, listen to news-related podcasts, etc.

And at the end of 3 months, see how you feel.

You will learn a lot, not only about yourself, but also about your relationships.

Without news and politics, will you find that there are more awkward silences in conversations with the people in your life? Or will you discover new, more personal connections that will help you form closer and stronger relationships with them?

Without expending all that time on following events in the country that you left, will you sink into a depressing boredom? Or will you find other, more interesting/productive/fun things to do with your newfound time?

And if, at the end of 3 months, you realize that your life is genuinely worse when you ignore news and politics in your country of origin, you can always pick up where you left off with a newfound appreciation for the benefits that they bring to your life.

After all, can you remember what was in the news in your country of origin three months ago? Six months ago? A year ago?

In the long run, would you even notice if you skipped it for 3 months?