Social Media Envy

It’s interesting to me that some people see social media as problematic because of the unrealistic view it gives us of each other’s lives. Of course we all post the good stuff that happens and avoid posting the bad, but who is really under the delusion that all the other people they know have perfectly wonderful lives? 

Maybe I enjoy rejoicing with those who rejoice on social media because I assume that every positive post is a victory over something difficult. When I post something wonderful it’s generally because I’ve overcome something to get to it. For instance: I’m having fun taking my family to a theme park, after years of struggling to get out of bed in the morning. Also, I’m getting ready to publish a poetry book. It’s beautiful and I love everything in it...and I’m quaking inside for fear I’m making a fool of myself thinking my poetry is worth publishing. See how it works. The positive posts aren’t the whole picture, so when you start feeling jealous remember that every good thing came at a price. Often, we’re posting to remind ourselves of the good things we have because we struggle with insecurities too. 

If it looks like someone is living the kind of life you want to live, start working toward it. Be inspired. Don’t buy the lie our brains like to tell that we have it harder than everyone else, or we could never live like they do. We all have it hard in different ways. We’re all working to do better every single day. Rejoice with those who rejoice because your time will come too. See their posts as evidence of overcoming.