Disconnect
I don't think there has ever been a time in history that so much information is at our fingertips. It is as if we have entered into a new phase of the information age. Years ago it was prudent to verify news prior to sharing it. Unlike the age of wisdom, now we share narratives with reckless abandon not caring whether or not something is true. If we see a news flash on social media it MUST be true, well at least until the next ALERT informs everyone that it wasn't true. We are so caught up in the instant false sensationalized news cycle that we have little to no interest in what is real. We are increasingly desensitized to the world around us.
I often use the term "we are so connected that we are disconnected". Last night I was at a local restaurant and glanced over at a table of 8. The thing that intrigued me the most was that six of them were on their phones and the other two were eating, no one was conversing. I am not implying that this is good or bad, it is just the age in which we live. We no longer value the human touch due to the fact that we are so obsessed with pseudo emotions gathered from the constant flow of opinion based posting. Our emotions are all in that portable device, it has become the gateway to our hearts, or so we think.
Why do I write this? Social media, to many, has become a competition of emotions. Beings that we do not have to face people in the flesh anymore to have a voice, we can now simply create or spin a narrative that will stimulate the desired result. If you are angry just lash out on social media and a group of friends will gladly jump on the bandwagon and substantiate your feelings. Same goes with just about any emotion you care to share. There is no shortage of folks that love to validate your victim mentality. Certainly there are times we find comfort in sharing unsavory news. However we need our lives to have a means to end, not an end without means. When we arrive at the desired feelings we then feel the need to find another post that will further the negative emotion we first gained. Yes it is like an addiction. Where does all this leave us?
By now you may be thinking that I have an aversion to social media, which would not be true. I love social media and how it connects us. The disdain I have for it is when it is used to elevate negativity. I, like you, have seen friendships lost, relationships destroyed, bitterness escalated, all because we have the ability for a voice with little regard of it's impact. I recall a quote that I think is apropos to this blog, "a minute of patience in a moment of anger can save a lifetime of regret". Think before you act. If it doesn't lift you up or someone around you, what is the benefit. When our goal is to expose or destroy someone's reputation simply because we are mad only places us on the level of the person we aim to harm.
Let's find a constructive way to utilize the amazing awesome tools of social media. It is a wonderful to connect and stay connected to people of like interest, old friends, classmates, business associates, hobby enthusiast, etc. There are so many positive things we can do with social media that can lift us up not push us down. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in the spin cycle to where you feel as though you must comment on posts that anger you. Trust me, it doesn't need you to right a wrong or set the record straight.
My goal in the first part of this is to get you to thinking about your connected life. Use the tools available to you to set your life on higher ground. We live in such a wonderful time due to all the information that swirls around us. It is up to us to reach out and grab a piece of news and use it to increase our knowledge and wisdom in such a way that forges us on a path towards our dreams. Never in history has so much been available to everyone. The playing field is genuinely level. Get the fire burning again, allow your dreams to come alive. Let the passion inside your heart lift your purpose for life to greater heights. This is your world, shape it or someone else will. Remember at any given time you have the power to say: this is not how my story is going to be written.
Are you so connected that you are disconnected?
Peace and love
Dale
I often use the term "we are so connected that we are disconnected". Last night I was at a local restaurant and glanced over at a table of 8. The thing that intrigued me the most was that six of them were on their phones and the other two were eating, no one was conversing. I am not implying that this is good or bad, it is just the age in which we live. We no longer value the human touch due to the fact that we are so obsessed with pseudo emotions gathered from the constant flow of opinion based posting. Our emotions are all in that portable device, it has become the gateway to our hearts, or so we think.
Why do I write this? Social media, to many, has become a competition of emotions. Beings that we do not have to face people in the flesh anymore to have a voice, we can now simply create or spin a narrative that will stimulate the desired result. If you are angry just lash out on social media and a group of friends will gladly jump on the bandwagon and substantiate your feelings. Same goes with just about any emotion you care to share. There is no shortage of folks that love to validate your victim mentality. Certainly there are times we find comfort in sharing unsavory news. However we need our lives to have a means to end, not an end without means. When we arrive at the desired feelings we then feel the need to find another post that will further the negative emotion we first gained. Yes it is like an addiction. Where does all this leave us?
By now you may be thinking that I have an aversion to social media, which would not be true. I love social media and how it connects us. The disdain I have for it is when it is used to elevate negativity. I, like you, have seen friendships lost, relationships destroyed, bitterness escalated, all because we have the ability for a voice with little regard of it's impact. I recall a quote that I think is apropos to this blog, "a minute of patience in a moment of anger can save a lifetime of regret". Think before you act. If it doesn't lift you up or someone around you, what is the benefit. When our goal is to expose or destroy someone's reputation simply because we are mad only places us on the level of the person we aim to harm.
Let's find a constructive way to utilize the amazing awesome tools of social media. It is a wonderful to connect and stay connected to people of like interest, old friends, classmates, business associates, hobby enthusiast, etc. There are so many positive things we can do with social media that can lift us up not push us down. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in the spin cycle to where you feel as though you must comment on posts that anger you. Trust me, it doesn't need you to right a wrong or set the record straight.
My goal in the first part of this is to get you to thinking about your connected life. Use the tools available to you to set your life on higher ground. We live in such a wonderful time due to all the information that swirls around us. It is up to us to reach out and grab a piece of news and use it to increase our knowledge and wisdom in such a way that forges us on a path towards our dreams. Never in history has so much been available to everyone. The playing field is genuinely level. Get the fire burning again, allow your dreams to come alive. Let the passion inside your heart lift your purpose for life to greater heights. This is your world, shape it or someone else will. Remember at any given time you have the power to say: this is not how my story is going to be written.
Are you so connected that you are disconnected?
Peace and love
Dale
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