I thought I had regained the emotional bandwidth to navigate the stormy seas of social media again.
I was wrong.
In the quest for wellness, I made some drastic changes in my life. Naturally, it took a pandemic to make me see the light with purpose. Things were not good with me physically or mentally, as this extraordinary period in our history began its opening remarks.
We’ve gone from COVID, chaos, and curfews at a breakneck speed. Seeing the consequences of multiple viruses — physical, cultural, and social — has brought us to the point of reckoning. In the end, we can never go back to before.
As hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets around the world to voice their refusal to accept the status quo, seeing who has taken the process of looking inward to heart is humbling. What we truly believe and how we choose to act this moment will define multiple generations at once.
When it comes to proper nutrition, “You are what you eat” is an ageless mantra. The same logic applies to what we consume in terms of media. With that said, what I have chosen to read of late, whether through mainstream news sources or social media, is making me sick in a different way.
A doctor’s visit encouraged me to make a life-saving choice earlier this year to better myself, to stop a slow decline brought on by depression, poor nutrition, and apathy that made me a likely candidate for a stroke or worse.
Today, I can safely say the combinations of medicines, a healthier diet, and daily exercise have all succeeded in making me stronger and fitter than I’ve been in years. What requires more work, however, is my emotional state.
Wellness is a personal choice. You must do what is best for you to ensure you have the skills, stamina, and physical strength to deal with what daily life will cast your way. The illnesses plaguing our nation, our world, have no immediate cure. However, the magnificent changes put in motion at this point will possess the benefits not experienced by so many Americans and people of color globally.
Good parents and selfless educators taught me the value of leading of example, but you can’t lead if you can’t withstand the pressures and stress of defeating those who prefer to be unjust and ignorant. Just as I have chosen to live a healthier life, I am also taking action to step away from the screaming heads that threaten to distract and undermine the social progress that is sorely required. It will not stop with a summer of protests or with an election that already looks compromised. We will need to fight for as long as it takes. We will need reinforcements to replace those spent or lost along the way in this battle. I am determined to be part of that wave when I’m ready, heart, body, and mind.
Dad always told me to choose my words wisely because you never know their impact. I want to make a difference in this world, hence respecting the power of what I wish to project. A break from the screaming void is what makes sense to me now.
We are what we read, and I intend to serve up words that fill the mind and soul like a satisfying meal. Until I can do that with clarity, focus, and worth, I encourage you, dear friends, to be kind to each other. Watch, learn, listen, and educate yourselves…for this revolution must survive for as long as it takes to become the change so many are dying to see.
Written by Jorge Carreón 