“It’s not your time yet, hold tight, I got you & it’s coming.”
Social media can take you through a whirlwind of emotions. It can be motivating. It can be discouraging. It can lead you to checking yourself or looking in the mirror and reevaluating your own path. It can be insightful and helpful. It can lead to feelings of hopefulness or it can lead to hopelessness. It's even been shown to lead to anxiety and depression. It can be dangerous.
In an effort to be "in," to "keep up with the times," or to keep up with people from our past or the people of our present, we create an account on various popular social media sites. Next, we "befriend" or follow a bunch of people - many we may know or know of, and even some we don't know at all. At this point, we are in position to observe everything that our friends put on display. We develop an attachment to that app and subsequently, the subconscious desire to know what's going on in the lives of others all the time. Sounds extreme, but it becomes addicting essentially. Thus, upon giving in to our repetitive urges to open that app and scroll our timelines multiple times in a day, our observations often subject us to comparison and envy, and sometimes self-pity. Comparison is mental and emotional self-destruct. However, it is natural; especially when certain aspects of your own life are not where you would like for them to be. I admit, that I've been the girl who at the sight of someone's accomplishment, have possessed these sentiments, “I see you! Congratulations on that insert huge, admirable accomplishment here." Other times I have felt congratulatory still, while also wondering when my time would come for whatever it is I wished was different at that point in my life. Be it a new job, car, or house, an engagement, wedding, baby, relocation, etc. someone has acquired or achieved, I am always happy for others. However, at times, we naturally can't help but wonder when certain blessings of ours will arrive.
The reality is, people only share what they are comfortable with showing about themselves on socials. I know you might be thinking, "Duh, that's obvious." But through pictures and often a simple caption, people depict the life they want their social media friends to believe they are living, because showing the sunny side of life is more appealing. Transparency is often neglected. People often don't expose the imperfections or ugly parts of themselves or their lives. Behind the scenes, you never know what people have gone through or are presently experiencing. Posted pictures only represent a snapshot of peoples' lives, not the totality of it. Captions and statuses almost never explain what went on before, during, or after the captured picture. Drake expressed it best in the second verse of his song, "Emotionless."
Missin' out on my years
Back when I used to wish I was here
Missin' out on my days
Scrollin' through life and fishin' for praise
There's times when I wish I was where I was
Opinions from total strangers take me out of my ways .....
I always hear people complain about the place that they live
That all the people here are fake and they got nothin' to give
'Cause they been starin' at somebody else's version of shit
That makes another city seem more excitin' than it is
I know a girl whose one goal was to visit Rome
Then she finally got to Rome
And all she did was post pictures for people at home
'Cause all that mattered was impressin' everybody she's known
I know another girl that's cryin' out for help
But her latest caption is "Leave me alone"
I know a girl happily married 'til she puts down her phone
I know a girl that saves pictures from places she's flown
To post later and make it look like she still on the go"Emotionless" by Drake
Freedom of choice grants us the right to keep as much as we want about our lives private. With that knowledge, do yourself a favor and remember during your scrolls that social media is NOT real. Additionally, everybody’s path is DIFFERENT. As a bit of consolation, I'm sure while we admire the lives of people we think have it together, they are sometimes in positions of discontentment with certain aspects of their lives, seeking change in one area or another, or desiring more for themselves as well. General human nature compels the majority of us to always desire more for our lives, beyond our current status.
On the flip side, positive interactions with social media and the observation of others' achievements can sometimes propel us forward. It can even inspire us to strive for better for ourselves. Seeing others do well, seeing what God has done for others can be reassuring. Their blessings are not your blessings, but you can begin to see that there are blessings with your name on them too. I truly believe in these two sayings: Comparison is the thief of joy and Change is the only constant in life. Don't compare your life to that of anyone else; you don't know what it took for them to be where they are -"everything that glitters isn't gold." If you are unhappy with any aspect of your own life, work on changing it. Then, be patient during your season of waiting and expectancy. Good things come to those who wait AND those who work hard. Base your moves on strategy and not on emotion. Know that everything will fall in place exactly when and how it is supposed to. God always has the best plans. If you are in a place where you are uncomfortable with your circumstances and the spirit of comparison is attacking you, God wanted me to share this with you, “It’s not your time yet, hold tight baby girl, I got you & it’s coming.”
