Rebellion: The Real “You”

There is a lot of buzz around social media about how to be the “best” you. Countless blogs and articles share the secrets of how to fulfill your life or why you should believe a certain perspective over another. You may have seen some of the posts. How to live your life like a golden retriever! 9 secrets to live longer! Or quizzes that determine what species of fish best matches your personality type. And I’m not here to pry about the benefits or negativities, because I find myself reading and taking these quizzes all too often.

And I began to see my personality changing! Instead of taking heed to the benefits of what these posts are really rooted in, I find myself trying to implement 101 ways to better myself and then become exhausted (there’s probably a post about that). But it’s not okay. Frankly, it’s not normal.

To be honest, I found myself saying “I miss the old me.”

Woah! Hold up. I thought I was supposed to be a better me today than who I was yesterday…and so on and so on. Let me make this statement: “Man was not meant for social media.” At least not what it has become. It’s funny, because my line of work deals heavily with social media.

Let’s take a step back. Social media is GREAT for catching up with old friends, lost acquaintances, organizing events and sharing pictures of the cool happenings of life. But there is now no line between doing just that and sitting, waiting and worrying about the updates of the world. Think of it like this: we are watching ourselves watching ourselves. Constantly checking statuses of others and hoping someone will like our post. It’s “fame” on the smallest scale, but it becomes so important to people. Virtual conversation even takes priority to face-to-face relationship building.

There are even social media sites that have realized this and created platforms with simplistic settings and limited functions. That’s great, but it’s gotten to the point that to please the audience, you have to evolve to give them what they want. And people want a LOT!

This is nothing new. And please understand, I am not hating on the Internet or social media sites. They are great and they do have their place. But I also know that now more than ever, the Western World tends to get what they want when they want it. This is not only unrealistic, but highly dangerous.

When you open your computer, phone or electronic device what comes to mind? Is it social media? If it is, think for another minute about what excites you about it. Is it really that important? Probably not. So what’s the draw to it?

I honestly don’t know! But I know it’s contagious and extremely time consuming. When I think of opening my computer, phone or device I want to think of creativity. The opportunity to create and use these “tools” at my own disposal. Apple had this same mentality and we all can see where it got them. I don’t want to waste my life “enjoying” the creation of an excellent tool someone made. I want to create and find joy that isn’t dependent upon a “thumbs up” or a “favorite”. At the end of the day, we all want to be seen, heard and appreciated. But imagine with me for a moment longer: what if we lived a life that didn’t seek to be seen by the world? But rather a life that trail blazed the deep pure desires of our hearts.

I’ve found that the people who enjoy social media the most are the people who turn off the notifications and use it purely as a journal. A diary and photobook of the places they’ve seen and people they’ve met and adventures experienced along the way. THAT is the social media that people enjoy.

So instead of waiting for someone to post something, or for someone to like your picture from last Friday night, go out and live the life you desire. This is the challenge: to turn your excuses into experiences. And never, never be afraid of failure. You may find life to be a little more enjoyable and a little less stressful.

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