I watch the news regularly. I think it’s a good thing to do to keep abreast of what’s happening nationally and locally. But there’s a problem, and that’s politics.

This is not to say that I don’t like to know about issues facing this country (because I do), but when politics get ugly, when people try to bludgeon others in the name of political correctness or freedom of speech or whatever the issue of the moment is, I find myself saddened and angry at the same time. And it’s hard to be joyful when there’s such negativity (on both sides of the political spectrum) shouting at you.

After seething about what some news commentator said or what some guy in D.C. did, I decided that I had to revisit my news watching practices. Too little leaves you ignorant in a time when people need to be informed to be responsible citizens, and too much leaves you angry and cynical. So I watch a little, try to focus mostly on local stuff and good news (because we build communities locally), and learn to worry about those things I can control.

And I focus on my own news, such as my sweet nephew turning 4 years old and wanting a robot-themed party or my older nephew rocking an LDS mission in Peru. If local news is good, then family news is better. Not that you can—or should—ever totally ignore one for the other, but you can moderate the ones that seem designed to exploit your darker emotions.

Focus on the good news, friends. There will always be bad news, but that shouldn’t rule your world or your emotions because there’s just as much good. You just have to work harder at finding it (apparently the good stuff doesn’t draw in the ratings like the other does).

Choose Joy.

—A