Over the last thirty years I have taught thousands of people who have stress related problems. Many have situations that are truly difficult. Others seem to be stuck and unwilling to solve their problems. Unfortunately the amount of people who like to talk about their situations versus change them seems to have grown exponentially. In fact I think Reality TV and a myriad of other shows focus on individuals weaknesses and their inability to use their strengths. It feels like a continual dialogue of angst riddled with excuses, blame, and martyrdom. Spilling your guts about your past and how toxic it was appears to be par for the course. If you believe everything you hear, you start to wonder if anyone had parents that weren’t nut cases. I, frankly am tired of listening to celebrities who reveal their drug use, sex addictions, inability to stay in relationships, or that they have some love child, that was the result of an affair they had with the housekeeper, pool boy, or Mongolian sheep herder. Who cares! And why do we have to keep hearing the reasons some people gained weight and are now part of a show that resembles the coliseum. We have become permeated with media that is constantly disclosing or interviewing dysfunctional people who showcase their insanities and consequently make money off it. There was a time when it was rare for individuals to reveal their immoral or dysfunctional behavior. It was a private matter and you handled it by yourself or had help from friends or family. Now, it is not uncommon to put whatever problem you have on face book, write a blog about it, create a YouTube segment or go on twitter and get hundreds of followers who are waiting to find out what you might be doing next. Whatever happened to mystique? Is privacy a thing of the past? Have we become so desperate for the “fifteen minutes of fame” that Andy Warhol predicted would be part of the future, that nothing is sacred? I keep hoping we’ll have a wakeup call and realize that we can have some “unexpressed thoughts”, but it may be too late. I for one, am hoping to write a book called “Just Shut Up”!. I would leave every page blank except for the words “just shut up”. My last page would be a little stronger , and I think you can guess what it would say. Use your imagination. Who knows, it just might work.
Listen in every Wednesday Night at 6:15pm EST to Loretta LaRoche on Lighten Up Network with her Get A Life Radio Show.
as I’m reading your post an add on CNN:
“tonight Piers Morgan interviews Paris Hilton in her most revealing interview ever! ”
Lol! what a waste of airtime! I’m paying for access to see this?!
You’ve done an excellent job of painting the picture as it is now ..
how can we paint it otherwise?
I’d like hearing You get interviewed about the stories from your life.
“the chicken lady” 🙂 your videos about your relatives and neighbors
open a window to view the world as a much friendlier place.
That’s a window more of us could benefit from looking through.
I recall you making the point that with all the devices we have to stay connected we are in fact moving more towards isolation.
How do we turn it around? I wish I had the answers
Just love, love, love everything Loretta shares with us all. Part of my daily reads, she whips any and everyone back into shape. Fix your life and go out there and help make a better world!
If people want reality–they should get off their duffs and go to work in the corrections field. Think about it! Every problem mentioned by the “Fifteen Minute Club” has members there. I agree with you Loretta! I’m sharing this!
I loved the above article. I am a firm believer that as long as we, as a society, continue to live through others lives we do not have to take care of our own. Being in a 12 step program which encourages looking at one’s part in the issues of my life and live in the solution, believe we all need a 12 step program. I have been saying this about the educational system for years. Thanks for all you do and say. I’ll continue to listen.
Wonderful thought provoking post…the previous commenters put it very well…just do it…
Take Care…