Let me preface this by saying that this post is less about politics and more about life today in general.
There are many things this election has taught me – that there is far more racism and misogyny in this country than I was privy to, that there are people in this world that think it would be beneficial to regress to the 50’s, I could go on forever. But instead of ranting and raving about the events of last week, and how I’m uncertain and afraid of what’s to come, I want to focus on one thing and one thing only.
It’s something I’ve been thinking about for weeks, but with everything that’s been happening politically it’s been at the forefront of my mind every minute of every day. I don’t know if there’s even a word for it, but it has to do with the idea of being self-serving. And the fact that everything we do on social media, which has become such a huge part of all of our lives (myself included), has become just..so…self-absorbed. Egotistical, even. Is it just me or do you feel like every time you see another person (“influencer”) posting yet another picture of themselves in a bikini to then look at thousands of comments about how they’re #goals, you feel just a little less adequate? I know I sure do.
And again, I’m not guiltless. I’ve posted my fair share of narcissistic images and admittedly hoped that I’d reach a certain number of likes by hour one. It’s absurd, and precisely why this has been on my mind even more. But what I want to do is change that. Change how I view myself, and others, what I post on my social media, more importantly what I say in real life, and make an effort to understand how my audience may perceive what I’m putting out into the universe. Everything means something different to everyone, but it needs to mean something regardless. And maybe nothing epic or life-changing or heroic, but it should inspire and ignite a feeling of something more purposeful, and with any luck positive.
I suppose what I mean by this is that there is a difference between posting a seemingly fabulous, fake, over-curated life, versus one that makes someone view their day a little differently. Maybe it’s a recipe that brings a family together at the end of the day, or even just you by yourself savoring a meal. Maybe it’s a quote that helps someone feel loved or hopeful or not alone. Maybe it’s even a picture of a person in a beautiful place that arouses the wanderlust in you. But whatever it is, it needs to be more. And again, I’m saying these things all for myself, because I want to make some changes around here. Everyone has to do what’s right for them, what makes them happy, but I want to make other people happy, too.
I know this past week has been gloomy, and maybe even downright depressing, but we can do something. So many things, in fact. Let’s start with ourselves, and the way we interact with one another, so that we can ultimately affect something bigger*