What to write? I was going to write about “Informed vs. Misinformed” as it seems that whenever someone says something about voters needing to be informed, it’s usually followed by some piece of misinformation. But I didn’t like where I was coming from on that topic. If you care about accurate info, check facts. Do a search for “Fact checking sites.” 

God has been working on me on anger, criticism, self-righteousness, and reactivity. I don’t carry as much anger as I used to, but it’s still there more than I want it to be. I’m not as critical as I used to be, but that’s still there too. Reactivity and self-righteousness? Argh.

I have a mentor who does not react to stuff. Her late husband was a walking reaction machine and I remember being in the car with them once and he was reacting to whatever – and it wasn’t affecting her at all. She responds, but she doesn’t get plugged in. I get plugged in so easily. This is especially true with politics. I can’t stand misinformation and it drives me nuts that people make decisions based on misinformation. But, this being driven nuts is part of what we’re working on.

One of my core values (if that’s the right word) is effectiveness. Why do something if you’re not going to be effective? (Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a good marriage manual and a good child-rearing guide as well as being good for business and life in general.) I have figured out that being reactive is rarely effective. Ditto being self-righteous. Getting so mad at misinformation that you jab back at the speaker is not effective. Not at all. Thinking that people are flat out stupid for believing something does not make for effective communication either. So, we’re working on that – God and me.

When God corrects me, He doesn’t condemn me or make a big deal about stuff, He just points out that I’m doing something that He isn’t pleased with and to work on it. Jesus didn’t tell the woman caught in adultery to go and do penance or make up for something, He just said, “Go and sin no more.” You don’t have to feel bad about it, you don’t have to feel guilty, just stop going down that path and take the better path. It takes a while, but that’s OK. 

So, that’s where I’m at right now – working on being less critical, less angry, less self-righteous, and less reactive. The problem is, it’s harder to figure out what to write…