What you NEED…

A while ago, I was scrolling on my phone and I came across a video that has haunted me every since. The person said we are now spending so much time on social media that we have created memories of other peoples’ lives, instead of making our own.

UGH.

A wave of nausea washed over me. I started thinking of all the people I follow, several that I’ve never met, and how much I know about their lives. What was I doing? Honestly, I was watching reels of others in lieu of spending time with my OWN people. I decided to check my phone and see the actual time I was wasting on social media.

Ahem.

Oh, good heavens.

In order to maintain what dignity I have left, I won’t be spilling the real numbers here. You should know this—it was excessive. Way, WAY too much time spent on memories that don’t belong to me. My heart hurt.

I left social media.

The first few days were difficult, as I found myself going on social media without thinking. It felt compulsive. As time went on, I tried being intentional with my phone. I stopped wasting time and started using it the way I wanted. After a week or so, some unexpected things happened.

I realized I had plenty of clothes. I really loved a lot of them, too. I didn’t need to buy a new sweater-shirt that was a perfect transition piece into fall. The urgency to run to Costco and get their Lulu dupes before the impending court case settled was gone. My house was lovely, just the way it was. I didn’t need more decorations for Christmas, or easy hacks from Dollar Tree, or any life-altering organizational bins. I remembered that the Windex I already owned cleaned my mirrors and windows amazingly, and I didn’t need to make my own with my favorite essential oils. I had plenty of recipes to make, and they tasted great. You get the idea. I didn’t feel anxious. I stopped feeling like I was behind, like I wasn’t enough.

I was content. ☺️

I had been existing in a world where everyone was telling me what I needed, what I had to have, what I couldn’t live without. I was a pawn in a massive advertising game, and I was losing. Every day, I needed to have more and to be more. I was ALWAYS falling short.

It is a terrible way to live.

Instead, I choose to be content. I practice gratitude. I wish i could say I left social media forever! But that would be lying. I still dabble, and I do send a hilarious reel occasionally. Today, I try to be intentional, and I don’t spend much time there anymore. I want to create memories of my OWN life, with the people I really know and truly love.

And that is a beautiful thing.