I have a confession: I’ve been stalking you… on Facebook, that is. And don’t judge, ‘cause I know you’ve done it too! We all have, especially within this group of fantastic ladies who have opened their hearts so many times to strangers who quickly become friends. Browsing a Facebook page is an easy way to get to know the acquaintances in your Friends list and to see what’s going on in their lives, or catch up with old friends whom you haven’t talked to in awhile.
But warning: This is a dangerous pastime, one that could lead you down a road of self doubt and insecurity, if you take everything at face value…
How many times have you scrolled through your newfeed and felt jealous? Inadequate? Failing at the game of Life? I know I have many times. Some days it seems like everyone I know runs marathons, makes butternut squash soup from scratch, throws handmade birthday parties for their kids that rival those of Martha Stewart, and somehow still manage to look amazing for all the sexy-time they have with their partners.
I read these updates and then sadly look around at my own life- here I sit at my computer, with kids who needed baths two days ago, a moody man, and I don’t even have the energy to put away the two weeks of laundry surrounding me like a mountain, let alone start training for an Ironman. I think to myself, “What the frack am I doing wrong? How do they do it all so easily?”
The answer is- they don’t. No one can do it ALL. What we see when we read a person’s blog, profile, or post is a carefully crafted image designed to share the best of a life. We see what they WANT us to see, and there is always more to a person’s story than what meets the eye. Maybe just beyond the frame of that perfect profile picture is another Laundry Mountain, equally as daunting to that person, which we don’t see.
When we start looking at everyone else’s successes we sometimes forget to celebrate our own. Instead of comparing your life unfairly to what you think everyone else is experiencing, find the joy in your own story and focus on the best of what YOU have to share- and remember to share it with yourself! Real life is messy and that’s okay. Just remember everyone has messes, they just don’t always pop up on a news feed.
-Amber B
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