 I recently came across mind blowing social media statistics. Facebook alone, has an estimated 2.45 BILLION registered members, who are active each month. Instagram, not far behind with an estimated 1.0 billion registered members, with 500 million stories being posted daily. Wow!! Read those statistics again.
Social media is Not. Going. Anywhere. With that said, my own experience with social media has been a bit of a struggle. After completing yoga teacher training, I was eager to share all things Yoga. I felt completely uncomfortable at first, not sure of what or how much to share online. Having tried a few sites, I settled on Instagram. I found it artsy, creative, and inspiring. It also brought up a lot of fear and insecurity, especially in the world of Yoga. Seeing amazing posts from other teachers with way more experience than I have, caused a lot of fear of being judged, of being not good enough, and of not doing enough. Like it or not, we must admit, social media is an extremely powerful tool. We can connect with others all over the world. Our youth are growing up with social media being their number one avenue of communication, and receptivity. It allows each one of us to create, teach, share, and inspire one another. Unfortunately, where there is light, there is darkness. The world of social media can also be a huge trigger for many people, who are in a vulnerable space. It is very easy to fall into the comparison trap, bringing up an enormous amount of negative thought patterns. This is detrimental to the well-being of those who suffer from anxiety or depression. I believe it’s a huge opportunity, to shift others away from the darkness back to the light, by sharing kindness and miracles. According to the book, “A Course in Miracles”, a miracle is a simple shift in perception, from fear to love. How can we use social media for miracles? I’ve come up with the following questions to ask yourself before logging in. WHY AM I SHOWING UP? What is your purpose for creating your profile? For your latest post? Getting very clear on what is motivating you to show up, will help you be aware of who is running your social media profile, your higher self or your shadow self. Are you offering a service? Hoping to inspire, educate or uplift others? Or is it ego-driven? Are you looking for reassurance by getting more “likes”, that you are good enough? Pretty enough? Strong enough? Fit enough? Smart enough? What is the purpose of your post? Be mindful of comparing your life, with other people’s peak moments shared online, which can leave you feeling discouraged and less than. It can be helpful to take a break and log off for a while. Reevaluate, and log back in when your intention for being online is clear. AM I ADDING VALUE? How am I contributing online? Am I leaving kind comments? Am I letting the teachers, leaders, authors, and creators who I look up to and follow, know, that what they create inspires me? I work on this one myself. How we interact online matters. We need the balance of giving and receiving. It’s so easy to fall into the habit of taking, by scrolling through our feeds, absorbing all we can without offering anything of ourselves. But this is not fully utilizing the enormous platform of opportunity we have online, to raise the conciousness of the collective. Show up in service. Add value by sharing your unique gifts, and gratitude for the gifts of others. WHO AM I FOLLOWING? Take the time to review your following list. Are you following profiles that uplift, motivate, educate, or inspire you? Are the profiles you follow allowing you to have a positive mindset? Or are they bringing you down? Stealing your joy? Are you connecting with like minded people? Pay attention to who you are following. What we are feeding our minds, and thoughts with matters. What we think, we create. Make the time you do decide to spend online this year, an inspiring, happy, fun and fearless experience. Then watch the miracles happen.
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