Scrolling can be entertaining, until it’s not.
We flick the screen with our thumbs and see image after image of what’s going on in the lives of others. The “others” are the people we’ve chosen to connect, follow or stalk (it’s all perspective).
We scroll because we’re curious. We scroll because we’re bored. We scroll because it’s addicting to see what others are revealing.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest… <insert favorite social media app here>
It’s like we’re all Professor Charles Xavier (of X-Men fame) with access to Cerebro. We can see every mutant on the planet and know what they’re up to.
Unfortunately, with great information (exposure to the lives of others) comes great responsibility. Scrolling can be entertaining, until it’s not. Until it’s depressing. But you already knew that.
- It’s depressing when you take the long list of everyone’s Top 10 moments and start comparing it to your last 10 minutes.
- It’s depressing when you see that someone has what you don’t.
- It’s depressing when you see the life you want being lived out by someone else.
It’s depressing because what you once found entertaining has turned to envy, jealousy and self-loathing.
If that’s where you find yourself, than I’d like to help. Because I know what all of this feels like. Here’s what I’d like you to do:
- Step away from social media. And by “step” I mean STOP looking at it. Delete your apps on your phone. Erase your bookmarks on your browser. Go dark.
- Find an action that makes YOU feel good about YOU. You’ve got to DO something. A hobby. A fitness class. A project. A vacation. A night out with friends.
- Serve somebody else. Find a way to help someone have a better day. Write a bunch of encouraging notes to people. Help a friend organize their closet. Volunteer.
- Write down ten things you’re grateful for…everyday. You have a lot to be thankful for. It’s hard to see it when you’re comparing yourself to others. Write down ten things. Yes, you can repeat things. You need to write it and see it everyday.
Resentment, the kind that flares up when you see the blessings in other people’s lives is a red flag. It’s stealing your joy. It’s blinding you to the blessings that exist in your life. They’re there…you’ve just been ignoring them.
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