Put It Out There

In this world driven by Facebook, Blogs, Pinterest, Twitter, and other social media it is so easy to wrap ones self worth up into what other people think. (OK, I had a problem with this long before these came to pass, but that's another post!) How many Likes you get on something, somehow deems it worthy. How many Page Views, give a sense that people care. Someone Pins your post and you're cool. You get Tweeted and all of a sudden your words matter. It is a very confusing world. Texts are misconstrued. Email cannot show emotion. Emojicons sometimes just don't have the right face or image to depict what you're feeling. And... we all still try our best to use these communication tools in our fast paced world.

The balance of it can be challenging. I have seen friends leave certain social media because of the ability it has to take over their life (I, too, have left). It is a challenge to not get wrapped up in what people do or do not say, repost, like or even acknowledge what I contribute through these medium. There is this false sense of connection between people. I can know many details of your life, but not know what they all really mean to you. I can attempt to decipher your thinking and feeling, how things are going in your life, and how your marriage and kids really are, but I will invariably be wrong. These are simply assumptions based on perceptions. I cannot know what is really going on for someone unless I ask. I can guess, and I can be wrong.

The false sense of connection that is caused my the input of all the information we receive, faces we see and posts we read is a sad reality of our world. I struggle to not want to leave all of them all together. Then, I speak to one person that read something I wrote or I see updates sent out to entire groups of friends and family on a child that was severely injured and my heart begins to see the good in social media. I find some great math resource and new ideas to help one of my kids, or I read a blog about a mom struggling with similar things as I am, and I feel comfort - I am not so alone.

I believe the danger is when I allow the vast exposure to other people and information to be my only source of connection. It is dangerous if I convince myself, "I have seen my friends, because I am online!" Face-to-face or (when not possible) over-the-phone connections cannot be replaced with exclusive online formats. I need these real-life reminders that I am not alone, and that people can hear me. I need to see and know my people, and be seen and known in return. Sometimes it is easier to allow myself to be seen through these outlets, and I have to learn to be vulnerable enough to, also, allow people to see me in life outside the computer, smartphone or hand-held device.

Blessings on the Journey!