Opinions

Fear And Chaos Are Both Effective And Affective

I am a self-admitted news junkie and I feel as if I have geographical whiplash from all the recent distressing news from around the globe; from Texas to Azerbaijan.

It would be impossible for me to mention every incident that’s resulted in my doubts about our experiencing a normal simple life.

I’m either hyper-attenuated or hypo-attenuated lately. Nothing in between. Then I finally give up, because it all seems too big and overwhelming. It’s become my habit.

With this sort of behavioral dissonance, it’s hard for me to set priorities. It seems I’m slammed with too many calamities and catastrophes, too many deadlines, too many doctor’s appointments, too many people-checks, too many issues and organizations to join and grow, too many delicately-worded letters and phone calls to lawmakers. I have no filter anymore. Or at least, my brain doesn’t.

Stream of consciousness doom-talking is my new normal and I’m running in different directions to control it. And some of it’s not under my control, but I want to influence others who DO have control to do something.

We now have a platform for each of the Texas political parties with concerns about both—how do we prevent the Texas GOP’s extremist draconian measures and how can we possibly accomplish the lofty positive goals of the Texas Democratic platform? A Congress that’s trying to steamroll all of Biden’s initiatives that would help middle class Americans and keep our country safe, and the EU elections that make it seem as if the entire region is slipping into fascism.

I’ve recently had to fall back on psychological methods from my years of professional graduate counselor training to regain my balance (if there is such a thing).

First and foremost: SLOW…DOWN.

Fear, chaos, and panic are effective methods of control by the far right. It’s designed that way in order to paralyze you into inaction. If we lose hope because of our passivity, then we stop fighting. That’s what they want. We’ve surrendered to their strategy.

When I encounter a problem that MUST be solved and to get myself out of the doldrums, I use this:

PROBLEM’S IN CONTROL OF ME I’M IN CONTROL OF THE PROBLEM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Where does your problem fall on this continuum?

What are you doing to keep the problem in the middle (at 5 or 6) and balanced? Remember that your attempts to be in total control of the problem imprisons you in inevitable chaos because of pushback from your detractors on the other side.

Than ask yourself:

What am I doing right now to solve this problem?

Is it realistic? Is it working?

Do I need to change what I’ve been doing to solve the problem?

This may not be earth shattering, but it can help you to approach problems with calm and logic and avoid fear and chaos, designed to wear you down.

Carol Morgan

The sleepy, dusty town of Lubbock, Texas, in the late fifties, was the perfect incubator for a shy, imaginative child who was a voracious reader with a dream of becoming a writer. Carol Morgan spent almost 30 years as a teacher and counselor, but even in her stint as an educator she continued to write. She was the executive producer of Career Connection, an education program on LISD-TV. In 2001, Carol began a second career as a career counselor, writer and speaker. Her goal was to encourage others to use their gifts and talents to make changes in their lives and the world. That business endured for 20 years until closing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was the host of a local radio talk show, Career 411, offering on-air advice and featuring unique careers. As a freelance writer, she’s contributed articles to various publications about Texas politics and life. Carol was the Democratic candidate for the Texas House of Representatives in 2010, and has never recovered from her addiction to Texas politics. She is the author of two books, garnering honors and awards for her writings.