I’m taking a break from my hatred of all things news to take a step back and write about why I’ve been so negative in these recent posts about the news.

I’m not against entertainment. I think it serves a valuable role in our lives. I like watching a football game or hearing about things that are none of my business. It’s a lot of fun.

I just no longer fool myself into thinking that it matters. It’s just entertainment. This isn’t life or death.

When I read books, so I can grow into a better person, that takes time. When I ride my bike to work every day instead of driving a car, that takes time. When I read, spend time with my family, volunteer, that all takes time. And our first reaction to changing things up in order to live out our values is: I don’t have time. I disagree.

You have time.

Yes, I said that right. You have tons of time.

Not having time means that you don’t have time to consume the news.

Not having time means that you never watch TV for anything ever.

Not having time means that you don’t get a full night’s sleep.

Not having time means that you never do anything that doesn’t involve feeding or sheltering your family.

You have time.

My time waster is the news. I used to spend literally hours a day reading and thinking about it. Yours might be different. Whatever it is, see it for what it is, put things in perspective, and focus on what really matters.

The question is not: When will I have enough time to do what matters?

The question is: When will I stop doing what doesn’t matter, so I’ll have enough time to do what matters?

That mindset change will change your life.