Let’s be honest. Nowadays, courtesy of social media, we all feel entitled to a bit too much information. And rightly so, we are given detail after detail of people’s lives, without asking for any of it – and I am guilty of this, too. And many of these people that we are watching are complete strangers. We have never met them, nor will we ever meet them. Bizarre, actually, that all of this information is at our fingertips, and literally watched for entertainment. What was eaten for breakfast, how the pantry is organized and maintained, where the school shopping was done (links included) and how long it took to put the patio furniture together (including high speed video showing the craziness that ensued when the missing screws were finally located!). No longer do we watch TV before bed. Instead, we scroll for an hour watching 3 minute clips until our eyes begin to blur – or at least this happens on occasion in our house. A strange phenomena that is now completely normal in 2023.
This never ending selection of information gives us a false sense of “knowledge”. We think we know. We feel like we know someone because we have seen these snippets of their lives. We think we know how they parent because we have seen pictures and videos (carefully created and chosen, mind you). We think we know what their house looks like because of the room reset video we watched (although the rest of the house looks like a bomb went off because all of the effort was spent in the room being recorded). We think we know about their cooking skills because we have seen the unique lunches they make for their children and post for all of us to admire. The fact is, we don’t know. We see only what they want us to see. We see the “highlight” reel. And if we are honest, that’s what we try to show others, too. It’s human nature. We take 17 pictures to get that perfect “candid” shot. It’s expected and accepted in 2023.
In all aspects, we don’t know what we don’t know. Until we meet others with different experiences, we assume that our reality is everyone’s reality. Until we hear about our neighbor’s divorce, we assume their marriage is as happy as their social media account claims it is. Until we find out about our co worker’s eating disorder, we assume her slender build is genetic and she can eat anything she wants to and not gain weight. Until we find out about our cousin’s anxiety, we assume he didn’t like family parties and had better things to do than to spend time with us. So much of what we think we know is actually assumed from bits and pieces of information that we have gathered. Part of this is due to us genuinely believing what is put out there for us to see. It is also easier to glance quickly at a person or situation and form an option, without taking the time to ask questions. But, as the saying goes, things are not always as they appear.
I’m not suggesting that we all throw our devices out the window and boycott all social media. I believe that having these accounts can help raise intentional, compassionate people that are able to communicate well and can discern fact from fiction. I am suggesting that we start to put more of a filter on what we are watching and posting. There is always a backstory to every post. It’s especially important to teach our children to be aware as they are watching and posting. We don’t have to watch everything just because it’s available and “everyone else” is watching. I am doing my best lately to minimize my own screen time as well. Although I’ll never turn down a good pantry clean out !
Thanks for reading-
How often do we critique ourselves, or is it just me? Questioning our choices, performances, or motivation is a pretty common phenomenon. We are, I’ve heard, our own worst critic. I try my best to be an encourager – to point out the good in others, to praise when things are done well, to give thanks when I am grateful. But I don’t typically do the same for myself – and you might not, either. After choosing intentional as my word of the year for 2023, I am becoming more aware of my own self talk, and to be honest, I’m kind of a meanie. I often dwell on mistakes or recall situations that could’ve been handled differently. I’m now focusing more on what has gone well, what I’m proud of, and what I’d like to see continue. As I grow in this direction, I saw a writing prompt that looked helpful “Name three personality traits that you are proud of”. Making myself look for positive attributes of my personality was just what I needed – and I assume you need it, too! I hope you will join me and at the very least make a list of personality traits that make you proud. We all need reminders of the great job we are doing as we push through this crazy thing called life!
Each year, I think long and hard about what my word of the year should be. I was “this close” to repeating my word from 2022 – worthy – something I had never done in my previous eleven years of choosing a word. The word worthy brought me so many lessons, and I was hesitant to move on without it. Nonetheless, I poured over lists of potential words until one made me stop in my tracks – intentional. The dictionary defines intentional as an adjective, meaning “done on purpose; deliberate”. Now, as a TYPE A personality, I feel that most of what I do in life is thought out, planned and on purpose. But was I living an intentional life? It appears I will be finding this out in 2023.
The month of January typically brings with it a fresh motivation to get my act together. Now mind you, I try super hard throughout the year to keep my ducks in a row (or at least in a cute chevron pattern) so this shouldn’t come as a complete surprise to those that know me.ย I am inspired by pinterest, home decor shops, and the adorable ads on TV that suggest I try the “out with the old, and in with the new” method of starting my New Year. I vow to pull it all together – and keep it that way.
word love 