The world recently has been a little bit crazy. I came across a post that said Shut Off Your TV and Love Your Neighbor. I’m going to take it a step further and say Shut Off Media and Love Your Neighbor. Which is ironic I know since I’m using social media to share this with you but the point is valid. Too often today people are glued to their social media. It rules their life, its how they get the news, whether good or bad, the weather, or any information that they look for. It can cause feelings of anger or hurt, joy or resentment over comparison. Young people especially look at things on Snapchat or TikTok or Instagram with everything going on right now and they are angry or hurt. They have feelings of confusion or even are overwhelmed by the barrage of information. Personally, its caused me to step back a little bit more and focus on what’s important. The constant barrage of information overwhelms me. So I’ve been stopping scrolling and started doing more productive things.
Here’s my take. Control what you can control around you. In other words, you cannot let social media and other forms of media control you. Be a good person to your family, your friends, your neighbors. Open yourself up to the people around you and your life will open up tenfold. Mother Teresa puts it as “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” Go DO that. Don’t be a part of the online chatter and disagreeing sides.
Open yourself up to new people – try to see the world from those who have different views around you, maybe you have more in common than you think. Meet your neighbors or someone new that you’re trying to become friends with – invite them over for a socially distant dinner or bbq. I hate that word socially distant. Now more than any other time in history do we need to come together not only as Americans, but human beings. And that’s what we’re forgetting here – everyone is human. We all make mistakes, sometimes we run late, or forget to tie our shoes, or forget the shopping list or leave your phone or keys or purse somewhere. Every one of us is human and we all better start acting like it. Because if you don’t believe me – ask your mom or your grandma and I’m sure she’ll say you were raised better than to act that way.
