What You’ve Been Given

Instagram. Facebook. Twitter. Snapchat.

They are the major sources that have contributed in spawning identity crises world-wide. Their intentions were pure…What a beautiful way to bring people together, to connect long-lost friends and family. They even allowed us to do our own detective work for “protective purposes.” But, what begins beautifully may not always evolve beautifully. The instinctual surprise has long left us, and we are infrequently shocked or moved to tears like before. We bump into friends in person and know all about them, though we haven’t spoken in months/years. Awkward much?

Who were you before social media? What were your standards – your expectations – of yourself before culture showed you what was trending? …or before you began to see your friends take risks, go on adventures, or live the life they’d always dreamed of?

Had you even discovered yourself yet?

I remember the shift for me (years ago). I wanted to post a picture of my puppy at our house. I actually remember thinking “I can’t post this on instagram…my couch is ugly.” If I posted a picture where people {from my entire life’s history} could see my ugly couch, they’d think that I was [x,y,z]; they’d see that I didn’t have good taste, or that I couldn’t afford good taste. Here I was, at home with my dog and my ugly couch while “everyone else” was going to Europe or discovering their purpose. Ah..there it is (hello shame). I stopped posting unless I was proud of the picture….or proud of what the picture represented. My god….do you hear how lame that is?? Don’t worry, I’m disappointed in myself so you don’t have to be!

If you aren’t proud of where you are [or WHO you are], it’s time to ask yourself some questions:

1. What is building me in my becoming?
   • What are my sources for growth?
   • Did I seek these sources, or did I stumble onto them?
2. What is “enough?”
3. What void am I looking to fill?
4. How’s my bullshit meter working?
   • We all have one. It’s the incessant pestering of your inner voice that tells you when something or someone (including YOU) is avoiding reality/Truth/honesty/progression
   • Sometimes it needs maintenance, and you have to reprogram it by clarifying your values and what you know to be true. The good news is that you don’t have to start completely over if you’ve ignored the alarms. You simply start with a clearer perspective and move forward.

If you aren’t ready to get humble, don’t ask yourself these questions. I promise you, they’re confronting — if you’re being honest.

You’ve been given a lot, you know.  You may or may not have eyes to see it. That’s okay. Piece by piece, you’ll learn to love what you’ve been given. You have to get out of your own way.

-k