Burn-Out Culture and What We Do Now

Farhad Manjoo writes in this morning’s New York Times, “Even as Trump’s presidency has been tiring—not to mention profoundly cruel, deadly and embarrassing for our nation—it has also been something else: motivating.” 

The Editorial Board’s contribution this morning was entitled, “Feel Inspired, America.” 

Strangely, I do. 

How about you? 

Mr. Manjoo continues, “By turning us into a nation of rubbernecks, [Trump] has pushed us to reckon with why things are crashing in the first place and to examine the faulty infrastructure of our democracy. If we’re lucky, this will be his only lasting legacy. For many of us, Trump has shattered the comfortable bliss of not having to pay attention.” 

He’s right. 

We no longer have the luxury of treating our government and its infrastructures as if they are our own personal subconscious minds. 

You know the purpose of the subconscious, I’m sure. It’s to run the parasympathetic systems that need to be on auto-pilot. Breathing. Blood cell construction. Peristalsis. Eyelash growth. Scar tissue manufacturing. Waste removal. 

Think on this for a minute. If you were attempting to read these words, all the while having to consciously think about that brief list of system functions above, would you be able to read these words? Of course not. 

And if you think you’re burnt out and politically, electionally, pandemically, Zoom fatigued now, imagine what it would be like to have to run everything that’s running just in your own body at this very moment. Ack.  

Toast. We’d all be toast. And at some level, we all are. Exhausted. 

There’s a free, easily accessible antidote to this exhaustion, Beloved. You can access it right now. It requires no external permission. It costs nothing. Oh, maybe a little bit of effort on your part. 

Pay attention. 

I know, I know. There’s a cost to attending, isn’t there? That’s why it’s pay attention. If I’m attending to everyone else’s business, vote, behavior, social media feed, then I am not, because I cannot be, attending to my own. 

I firmly believe that one of the major tenets of leading a happy, fulfilled life is MYOB.  

Really. 

Mind your own business. 

How does that play out, really, in a day-to-day way? 

Pay attention to where you are right now. Pay attention to whomever you are with right now. Pay attention to the needs you see in your own sphere.  

And act. 

Here’s the simplest solution to all the burn-out we’re all feeling. 

GO SMALL. 

No, really. Go small. Become local. Focus on where you are, on what is so, on who you’re with, on why that matters, and take action to change it, fix it, heal it as best you can. 

You see, I definitely think that peace in Gaza is a good idea. But … I’m not in Gaza. I can’t make much of a difference in Gaza today other than through prayer, but I am in Kingston, New York, and you betcha I could make a difference here in Kingston today. 

We don’t know the outcome of this election yet. And it will take as long as it takes. Do yourself a favor and watch Tony winner Leslie Odom, Jr.’s video for election day, “Wait For It.” He’s willing to #WaitForIt. So am I. So must we all be.

In the meantime, though, look around at where you are right now. What needs doing? Not on the macro, but micro-doing. Do that. 

Your macro burn-out will heal with every small, local action you take, Beloved. 

Change doesn’t have to be nationwide to have an effect. No, change is effective when it starts with you, at home.

Whilst we await the national results, let’s begin the process of restoring ourselves to generosity and kindness, shall we?  

One small, kind, thoughtful, generous action at a time. 

Dr. Susan Corso is a spiritual teacher, the founder of iAmpersand, and the author of The Mex Mysteries, the Boots & Boas Books, and spiritual nonfiction. Her website is susancorso.com.