Labor Day passed, and now, it is time to stop wearing white. It is also time for the Election Cycle to kick into high gear (and I thought we already maxed out...). Thankfully, a light shines dimly at the end of the tunnel, and the election is almost here.

As the new cycles and the polls churn on endlessly, I find myself caught up in the tiniest details. I check poll aggregate sites. I get email updates on the latest news. I listen to podcasts and NPR daily.

But recently, I became fatigued with the constant flow of information, and I know I need to take a step back. I need to stop consuming quite so much media on the issue.

Even more importantly, I began asking the question - What else are we missing?

In my eagerness to follow every detail of the campaign season, am I missing out on other, important items in the news?

As I wrote earlier, it is incumbent upon me looking for news of importance. I cannot simply be a passive consumer of media and news. With my increased focus on the election, I forget to look for stories about the world around me.

Saudi Arabia is still bombing Yemen, and the aid community is having a difficult time identifying the number of civilians killed.

Venezuela still struggles with a financial crisis.

Malnutrition rates skyrocket as a result of drought conditions across Africa.

Gabon’s election led to significant violence.

Even more stories exist out there, and I forget to read them - I forget to look for them.

So as Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Gary Johnson, and Jill Stein race to the finish line, let us not get caught up in the hype. Important issues outside the campaign trail still exist to discuss, and important questions still exist about the intelligence and competence of our future leaders. However, we as a country can rise above pettiness and sound bites. We can discuss substantial questions and find quality answers to the policy issues needing address.

Don’t let the election over-shadow the important issues.