Currently, social media culture is pressuring me to share a highlight reel of my year. I have no real desire to do this and yet I hear a little voice whispering “you should”.
It’s a familiar whisper that I know better than to ignore. Instead, I’ll get curious and talk to it.
Here's what it sounds like:
Me: Hmm that’s interesting. What makes you think I should want to post a highlight reel?
Other voice: Well everyone else is doing it…and it’s just what you do so people know you had a good year and have a good life. You want people to think you had a good year and have a good life right?
Me: Oh wow, ok, I hear you. I’m not sure that’s entirely true. By the way, how old are you?
Other voice: Fifteen.
Me: Ah yes, I thought I recognized your voice. Hi teenage Jen, thank you for showing up. Your perspective is appreciated and I will consider it.
Teenage Jen: You’re welcome.
Me: Now let’s talk to the older wiser version of me… Zen Jen, are you there?
Zen Jen: Oh yes, I am here.
Me: What do you think about what teenage Jen suggested?
Zen Jen: I can understand why she says that, but I do not see it that way. In fact, I think doing the opposite makes more sense. It seems more important to go inward and reflect on my year to generate self-acknowledgement, self-accountability, gratitude, and inspiration for new possibilities and commitments in 2024. Social media culture says I need to do this publicly, but I think doing it privately could be more meaningful for me. Not to mention that half the people doing it publicly are trying to build clout to sell something anyways…just saying.
Me: Wow, thank you Zen Jen. That’s insightful. I appreciate your perspective and frankly, it feels much more aligned with me. It would be out of integrity for me to do something just because social media culture tells me to. Thank you for helping me to see that.
Zen Jen: Anytime Jen. Anytime.
I share this today to counter our current social media culture and offer you the option to go inward instead of outward if it feels more aligned.
I want to leave you with my take on comparison.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that life is not a competition. Right now is one of those times.
When we forget that life isn’t a competition, opportunities for comparison become abundant.
Comparison is a thief and it will steal your peace if you let it. The key is knowing you are in control of it because comparison has a choice point.
You can either choose to let comparison steal your peace or you can choose to defend and preserve your peace with gratitude.
When faced with comparison, gratitude is a powerful weapon.
Don’t let someone else’s highlight reel make you think that your year wasn’t enough...that your life isn’t enough…
slay it with gratitude.
Choose to be enough in 2023--regardless of what you did or didn't do...
and watch what you do in 2024 from that energy!
And if you need any help with that, my door is wide open.
Welcome to 2024.